Translation-in-Progress Grant

The Translation-in-Progress Grant is awarded biennially to deserving translators of literary works of fiction and non-fiction that promote a better understanding of Ukraine or the Ukrainian people or are deemed to be of significant interest to the global Ukrainian community.

The aim of the grant is to facilitate translations of important works primarily from Ukrainian to other languages or vice-versa and to promote the publication of such works.

Funding is given to translations-in-progress, as the grant aims to provide support for completion. The grant seeks to encourage translators to undertake projects they might not otherwise have had the means to commence.

JUDGING CRITERIA

Value

The value of the translation grants range from $2,000 CAD to $10,000 CAD. Under very exceptional circumstances, the Awards Jury has the discretion to award larger grants. The size of each grant shall be determined by the length and complexity, subject matter, and category of literary work being translated. The Awards Jury has developed a standard by which translation grant levels will be determined.

Who can Submit an Application

Submissions are made either by the translator, OR on behalf of a translator, by the author of the original work, a reputable publisher, publishing organization or literary agent.

The Peterson Literary Fund must receive the submission for the grant by 11:59 PM (EST) March 31, 2023. 

Submission Dates:
March 1 to March 31, 2025

Submission Dates:
March 1 to March 31, 2025
(11:59 pm EST)

Successful applicants will be notified: In the fall of 2025 Completion of translation project due: December 31, 2026

Eligibility:

  • Translations-in-progress of book-length works of fiction, nonfiction, poetry, drama as well as foreign policy/international affairs journals, which have not previously appeared in print in the language into which it is being translated.

  • Retranslations or reprints will only be considered in exceptional cases, where the original translation is determined to be historically outdated or flawed, requiring significant revisions.

  • Translations of important works from Ukrainian into English or French or vice-versa. Works translated from Ukrainian into languages other than English or French, will be given consideration by the Awards Jury based on the importance and relevance of the subject matter.

  • Proposed translations where neither the original work nor the final translation are in the Ukrainian language, will be considered, if the subject-matter is deemed to be of significant importance to the worldwide Ukrainian community.

  • Translators are not required to have Canadian residency or citizenship. Translated works may have several translators (as in the case of journals or anthologies), in which case the grant shall be divided equally among the translators.

Restrictions:

  • Self-help books, consumer manuals, works comprising less than 10,000 words (approx. 40 pages) are not eligible.

  • A project that was previously submitted and did not receive a grant is unlikely to be reconsidered in a subsequent year.

  • Translators can make a maximum of two submissions per year.

Submission Guidelines:

Submissions are made using our online application process. You will need to provide:

  • A statement outlining the work being translated, the languages of the original work and translation, the relevance and importance of the work, etc.

  • A biography and bibliography of the author, including information (if any exists) on existing translations of his/her work into other languages.

  • A CV of the translator.

  • If the book is not in the public domain and the project is not yet under contract, include:

    • A photocopy of the copyright notice from the book published in its original language (the copyright notice is a line including the character ©, a date, and the name of the copyright holder, which appears as part of the front matter in every book), and

    • A letter from the copyright holder stating that the relevant language rights to the book are available. A letter or copy of an email from the copyright holder is sufficient.

  • If the translation is currently under contract with a publisher, submit a copy of the contract.

  • A sample of the translation. In the case of prose, this should be approximately 5,000 words. For works of poetry, submit 1-2 poems per page, within a range of 8-10 pages.

  • The extract of the same text in the original language (If the work has been previously translated, also provide the same passage in the earlier version).

 

Register and Apply

Submission Process:

To apply for the Translation-in-Progress Grant, you must register on our online submission platform, by creating a username and password. Once your registration is confirmed, you can log into your online profile and fill out the submission form. You can save and go back to your submission form at a later date, as long as you complete and submit your application before the deadline date.

Do you have Questions?

Send your question to: submissions@petersonliteraryfund.com