Submissions: the submission window will be open from 12.01pm BST 1 April 2025, closing at 11.59pm BST on 31 May 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 24 proposals to receive grants in approximately August 2025.

Samples created: the shortlisted translators will create 5,000-word samples of the proposed works across approximately August and September 2025, 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 12 projects as PEN Presents x SALT 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 English-language publishers from November 2025.

This round of PEN Presents x SALT is open to:

• translators anywhere in the world;
• translators at any stage of their career.

Works being submitted must be:

• originally written in any official or unofficial language of South Asia
• by authors who are either citizens of a South Asian country; resident in South Asia; or of South Asian heritage.[1]
• by multiple authors, provided all authors would individually might the eligibility criteria;
• 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 being submitted can be:

• co-translations (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);
• works of any form;
• works of any genre;
• works of any era;
• works of any length;
• works for readers of any age;
• works that have not been published in the language in which they were originally written (provided that a copy of the original-language text of the unpublished work can be shared as part of the assessment process);
• works containing multiple languages, provided all languages are individually eligible.

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

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

[1]  The SALT project works in Bangladesh, Bhutan, India, Maldives, Nepal, Pakistan and Sri Lanka. For the purposed of the PEN Presents x SALT, this is what we mean by South Asia.

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 English-language 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.