Apply Now: Translation Fund for Literature (Australia)

International publishers may apply for a contribution towards the translation of works by living Australian authors of creative writing such as fiction, poetry, writing for children and young people, graphic novels, and narrative non-fiction (defined as autobiography, biography, essays, histories, literary criticism, or analytical prose). Australian publishers may also apply to support the translation of non-English language works to English, providing they are using an Australian translator.

Funding Information

• Contributions of AUD $5,000 per successful applicant are available.

Eligibility Criteria

• International publishers may apply for a contribution towards the translation of Australian works of creative writing, and a contribution towards promotion of the translated work. The work you are proposing to translate must be authored by an Australian citizen or an Australian permanent resident.
• Australian publishers may apply to support the translation and promotion of foreign language works, provided the translator is an Australian citizen or permanent resident.

Ineligibility Criteria

• Applicants who have already submitted two applications to this closing date
• Applicants who do not hold the rights of the work to be translated
• Indie (self-published) authors
• Applicants who have not provided the required support material – the translator’s CV and a signed copy of the rights agreement
• Applicants who have an overdue grant report
• Applicants who owe money to Creative Australia

Assessment Criteria

• Applications will be assessed against two criteria:
  • Quality
  • Assessors will consider:
    • The quality of the work submitted for translation
    • Why this work is the right fit for your list
    • The track record of the translator
  • Viability
    • Assessors will consider the publisher’s ability to market and promote the translated work

Application Requirements

• The types of questions they ask in the application form include:
  • A title for your application
  • A description of your proposed activities that comprises:
    • A brief description of the literary title
    • Why you consider that this work or author is right for your list
    • A description of your publishing house, if relevant
    • The language of the proposed edition
    • How many copies of the book will be printed (minimum print run of 500 copies)
    • How and where the book will be distributed and promoted
    • For Australian publishers: whether you have published any other translated works, listing comparable titles
  • An outline of how the funds will be spent that comprises:
    • The retail price of the book
    • The amount the author/rights holder will be paid
• Your application will only be eligible if it includes the following essential support material:
  • The translator’s CV, listing their relevant experience
  • A copy of the signed rights agreement. If your agreement is in a language other than English, please also provide a brief summary in English.
• The following support material may also be included with your application:
  • Evidence of other titles in your catalogue, or previous books published.
  • Their preferred method of receiving support material is via URLs (weblinks).
  • You can provide up to three URLs that link to content that is relevant to your proposal.
  • If you cannot supply support material via URLs, you may upload support material to your application as written material (Word and PDF).

For more information, visit Creative Australia.