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Translator Resources

Are you a literary translator looking for resources to get started, submit your work, or connect with others in the field? This curated list includes workshops, conferences, databases, fellowships, and opportunities for translators at every stage—whether you’re just beginning or looking to expand your network and refine your craft.

Getting Started

PEN 2023 Manifesto on Literary Translation(opens in a new tab) (2023)
Pitch Guide for Translators(opens in a new tab) by Anton Hur (2024)
On Translation(opens in a new tab), a podcast hosted by Merve Erme sponsored by the Hawthornden Foundation. The seven episodes in season three focus on both the art and practical issues of publishing literary translation (2025)
Getting the Rights to Translate a Work: A How-To Guide(opens in a new tab): by Susan Bernofsky (2017)
Five great tips for getting started as a literary translator(opens in a new tab) by Sophie Hughes
American Literary Translators Association (ALTA) Editor-Translator Pitch Sessions(opens in a new tab)

Workshops & Conferences

Databases

ALTA’s Translator database(opens in a new tab) — Features hundreds of translator members and is publicly searchable by language, genre, and more.
PEN’s Translator database(opens in a new tab) — Open to any translator who is a member of PEN America, this database is a resource for publishers, editors, and professionals seeking translators for their literary and professional projects, as well as translators who are looking to connect with others in their field or region.
Dutch Foundation for Literature Translation Database(opens in a new tab)
Digital Library of Korean Literature(opens in a new tab)
Finnish Literature in Translation Database(opens in a new tab)
Japanese Literature in Translation Database(opens in a new tab)
Persian, Translated(opens in a new tab) — A database of Persian literature in English translation.

Publications

Collectives

Fellowships & Residencies

Grants

Prizes

Regionally Specific

French

Albertine Translation Prize
Scott Moncrieff Prize
French-American Foundation Translation Prize

German

Rhine Translation Prize
Schlegel-Tieck Prize
Looren Excellence Grants
Goethe-Institut Award for New Translation
Goethe-Institut Translation Funding Program
Austrian Cultural Forum London Translation Prize
Literary Colloquium Berlin
German Book Office New York Non-Fiction Translation Competition
German Translators’ Fund ViceVersa Workshops

Italian

Italian Prose in Translation Award
John Florio Prize

Japanese

JLPP International Translation Competition
Great British Saskawa Foundation Prize

Korean

Literature Translation Institute of Korea Grants
Daesan Foundation Grants
Korean Publication Industry Promotion Agency

Polish

Wislawa Szymborska Award
PEN Polish Centre Award
Polish Book Institute Award — Transatlantyk

Spanish

LatAmLit Today
Sundial House
Premio Valle Inclán
Spain-USA Foundation Translation Award

South Asian Languages

Armory Square Prize for South Asian Literature in Translation
New India Foundation Translation Fellowships
SALT Project Translation Mentorships

Other Languages

Saif Ghobash Banipal Prize for Arabic Literary Translation
Mabati Cornwell Kiswahili Prize for African Literature
Lucien Stryk Asian Translation Prize
Risa-Domb Porjes Prize (Hebrew literature)
Persian Translation Prize
Dyankov Translation Prize (Bulgarian literature)
Praspar Press Translation Prize (Maltese literature)
FILI — Finnish Literature Exchange Grant