The special issue formulates two objectives in conceiving Belgian literature as world literature. First, it shifts the focus from a Flemish or Francophone perspective to a Belgian perspective. It is the authors' hope that the bringing together of, and the coherence between, the seven case studies will offer a broader consideration of how institutions, in their roles as mediators, both in their practices and in their discourse, represent these works and authors. Second, on a methodological level, it adopts an approach that is explicitly and centrally informed by Translation Studies, while at same time insisting on the need of a complementary multidisciplinary framework consisting of Literary Studies, Cultural Studies and Sociology to tackle issues of circulation, transfer and mediation in the translation of Belgian literature. The role and importance of multilingualism, stereotyping or multimodality in the valorisation of a text or author, for example, are elements that are investigated through a multidisciplinary lens. The aim is thus to initiate a discussion regarding an adequate theoretical–conceptual framework and accurate methodological tools for the study of the relationship between national literature and world literature.