The article presents an empirical study of prefaces to literary translations and of the role that they play. It argues for an increase in their inclusion as a tool for increasing intercultural understanding. An examination of a corpus of over 800 contemporary fictional works translated into English revealed that only 20 per cent included prefaces. Of these, only half, or 10 per cent of the total number of books, actually discussed the translation or provided information about the source culture that might be unknown to the target audience. Through an analysis of the contents of the prefaces in the corpus that refer to the act of translation or the source culture, the study identifies the main functions served by the topics discussed by the translators and determines that the most predominant function is the promotion of understanding between cultures. The next most served function is that of promoting understanding between cultures. The next most served function is that of promotion understanding of the translator’s role and intervention in the text. Also considered in the study are attitudes to translator’s prefaces amongst translation scholars and in the publishing world, and how negative attitudes towards translated works of literature can affect their inclusion. The article maintains that although translator’s prefaces are relatively uncommon today, they have an important role to play as the voice of the translator – the key figure in promoting better understanding among people and nations.