English
PEN’s translation grant is now open for submissions. We believe that, amidst our current public-health
context, it is vital that this component of the international literature
landscape continues to support publishers and translators.
PEN Translates was
launched in 2012, with support from Arts Council England, to encourage UK
publishers to acquire more books from other languages. The award 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 awarded over £1m of funding.
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 (e.g. children’s literature, YA, graphic novels) and underrepresented languages and geographies (e.g. indigenous languages, Oceania literatures, Sub-Saharan African languages).
The deadline for applications is 31 May 2020.