Albertine Translation Fund and the Acquisition of Rights Grant Program (US)

Both programs are designed to support publishers and translators in adapting French books, with eligibility for titles spanning both initiatives where applicable.

Categories

• The Albertine Translation Fund:
  • The Albertine Translation Fund supports both translators and American publishers of English translations of works published in France within the last 10 years.
  • Twice a year, an independent committee of experts, including academics, translators, and publishers, selects works that showcase the diversity of the French literary scene. The fund supports books that reflect new trends in fiction, children’s literature, poetry, graphic novels, and nonfiction.
  • Please note that works without an American publisher are still eligible for the Albertine Translation Fund, as long as the French publisher secures a rights acquisition agreement with an American publisher for the English translation within one year of the grant announcement.
• Acquisition of Rights:
  • Operated by Villa Albertine and coordinated by the Institut Français, the Acquisition of Rights program aims to provide financial assistance to American publishers seeking to acquire the rights of French works for publication in the United States.
  • The program helps American publishers cover the costs of acquiring the rights to French fiction, non-fiction, children’s literature, and comic works for English translation. Please note that you can only apply for this program if no advance has been paid to the French publisher. If you plan to apply, you must negotiate a deferred payment with the French publisher when signing the contract.

Funding Information

• The Albertine Translation Fund:
  • The Albertine Translation grant awards $2,000 to cover publishing costs and an additional 50% of translation costs, not exceeding $5,000. Thus, the maximum amount that can be granted for a project is $7,000.
  • The selection committee additionally chooses two Albertine Translation prize winners among the recipients each year – one in fiction and one in nonfiction. The winners receive $5,000, allocated to the books’ translators.
• Acquisition of Rights:
  • Beneficiaries are selected by the Institut français, with a preference given to books published in the past ten years. The grant is paid directly to the French publisher and cannot exceed the amount of the first advance for acquiring the rights. The grant amount ranges from €500 to €5,000.

Eligibility Criteria

• To be considered for an Albertine Translation grant and prize, the book must have been published in France within the past 10 years. Authors, agents, translators, French and American publishers may apply for the Albertine Translation Fund and Prizes.

For more information, visit Villa Albertine.