In 1999, there were three types of activity in favour of books and reading in the framework of the European Union's Ariane programme, with 291 projects sharing a total of 4.1 million euros. Translation was the most important one, with a budget of 1.39 million euro. The books selected for translation ranged from novels and plays to books on history and philosophy, and each was translated into one, two or three of the eleven official European languages. The list included not only new and recent titles but also works which had become classics, such as George Orwell's 1984. The Ariane programme also sought to promote little-known books and authors, through cooperation between associations, organizations and firms from several European countries.