English PEN’s flagship translation grant PEN Translates is now open for submissions, closing 31 May 2022.

Launched in 2012 with support from Arts Council England, PEN Translates helps UK publishers to meet the costs of translating new works into English, while ensuring that translators are acknowledged and paid properly for their work.

The programme has now supported over 300 books translated from 90 languages and awarded over £1m of funding. 16 titles supported through PEN Translates have featured on International Booker Prize longlists in the last six years.

PEN Translates is open to works from all languages, and it is not essential for publishers to have acquired the rights at the time of application, as long as they have permission from the publisher of the original.

PEN Translates awards are assessed based on:

• Literary quality (40% weighting)
• Strength of the publishing proposal (30% weighting)
• Contribution to UK bibliodiversity (30% weighting).

We particularly welcome submissions from underrepresented forms and genres, languages and geographies.

The deadline for applications is 31 May 2022.