The Association of American Publishers has announced an offer of $10,000 dollars in assistance to any U.S. publisher that would translate and publish any one of three Iranian novels, “to help open up a tight market for books in translation,” according to an Associated Press wire story by Hillel Italie. The three books are: The Drowned, by Moniru Ravanipur, The Empty Palace of Soluch, by Mahmoud Dawlatabadi, and Christine and Kid by Houshang Golshiri. A consultant on the AAP’s International Freedom to Publish Committee said, “We consider these books highly worthy of more attention. But, of course, it’s not just Iranian literature that’s hard to find in this country. It’s a tough market for any books in translation.” Italie reports, “The project was made possible by a grant from the Open Society Institute, the grant-making foundation of billionaire philanthropist George Soros.”