• Submissions: the submission window will be open from 12.01pm BST (UTC+1) 1 October 2025, closing at 11.59pm GMT (UTC) on 30 November 2025.
• Shortlisting: an independent Selection Panel of experts from across the literary sector – including writers, agents, scouts, editors, booksellers and critics, chaired by an English PEN Translation Advisory Co-chair – will read the submissions and select a shortlist of proposals to receive grants in February 2026.
• Samples created: the shortlisted translators will create 5,000-word samples of the proposed works across February and March 2026, submitting them to English PEN.
• Final selection: expert independent assessors will be commissioned to write reader reports on the samples, before the Selection Panel reconvene to consider the samples and reports and select six projects as PEN Presents winners. English PEN will work editorially with the translators of these selected projects, with the winners announced and their edited samples published and promoted to UK publishers in June 2026.

This round of PEN is open to:

• translators working from the languages of Brazil:
  • from anywhere in the world;
  • at any stage of their career.

Works being submitted must be:

• works not yet published in English translation in any territory (where “published in English translation” is taken to mean legally and with the consent of the rightsholder translated and published in full in any form);
• works where English translation rights – UK or World English – are available (works for which a countersigned contract exists between a publisher and translator for an English translation are not eligible);
• works by living authors;
• works of Brazilian literature, meaning:
  • works originally written in any language from Brazil; and
  • works by writers who are citizen of Brazil; and/or
  • works by writers resident in Brazil; and/or
  • works by writers of Brazilian heritage and first published in Brazil; and/or
  • works published in Brazil and written by stateless persons.

Works being submitted can be:

• co-translations, providing that all translators would be eligible for the round as individuals (if a co-translation is shortlisted, the grant will be split equally between the co-translators, except where an offset split is requested and agreed in writing by all the co-translators);
• self-translations (translations by the author of the original work);
• works of any length;
• works of and form, genre and style;
• works containing multiple languages, but only where all languages are languages of Brazil;
• works translated from a bridge language, but only where the bridge language is also a language of Brazil.

Proposals for works for which a countersigned contract exists between a publisher and translator for an English translation are not eligible.

Translators can submit only one proposal to a round of PEN Presents.

PEN Presents proposals and samples are assessed against three criteria:

1. Literary quality (40% weighting) – we want to support the translation of literature of outstanding merit.
2. Strength of the project (30% weighting) – we want to support projects with the potential to be successfully published in the UK market and reach readers.
3. Contribution to bibliodiversity (30% weighting) – we want to support the translation of books that give readers access to a more varied literary landscape, supporting a more diverse range of voices to create exceptional work.

To apply, you do not need to submit a full sample translation. The application form, which has been designed with experienced translators, publishers and agents, comprises a proposal for the work for which you want to create a sample. This form asks proposals for:

• a short synopsis of the book;
• a very short translation over the opening lines of the book (max. 200 words);
• the author’s biography;
• information about the successes of the original work (including sales figures, prizes, reviews, other translation rights deals);
• detail on why you think you are the right translator for the project;
• arguments for the work’s literary quality, fit for the UK market, and contribution to bibliodiversity.

Only shortlisted applicants, all of whom receive grants, need to submit a 5,000-word sample translation, along with the equivalent passage from the original work.