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Support for translating into English, Scots and Gaelic

Translation into English, Gaelic or Scots

Below are some examples of foreign-language books which have been translated into English, Gaelic or Scots and published in Scotland.

Creative Scotland – Open Fund: Sustaining Creative Development

If a Scottish publisher is seeking funding to translate a book from another language into English (or Scots or Gaelic) they could try the Open Fund: Sustaining Creative Development from Creative Scotland.

Creative Europe

Creative Europe in the UK drew to an end in December 2020 due to Brexit. Although its website (and associated newsletters and social media channels) will no longer be updated, it will remain live throughout 2021 as an archive resource, where you can find guidance on areas such as Third Country Participation in the Culture sub-programme, funded projects and publications.  For Creative Europe-related queries from 1 April or information about the 2021-27 programme please visit the EACEA website.

Translation into English, Scots or Gaelic

EUNIC

The European Translation and Publishing Grants Booklet is an initiative of EUNIC London that includes information on Translation Prizes, Residencies and Publishing Grants on European Literature. It is usually presented every year at the London Book Fair where they invite British publishers working with literature in translation, European publishing houses and translators for a networking event celebrating and promoting European literature.

Funding Organisations outside of the UK

List of language-based organisations that provide information, support and/or funding for publishers interested in translating and publishing books from that language into another language.

Armenian: Armenian Literature in Translation

Canadian support for translation other than French or English: Canada Council for the Arts

Catalan: Ramon Llull Institute 

Czech: Ministry of Culture Czech Republic

Danish: Danish Arts Council

Estonian: TRADUCTA funded by The Cultural Endowment of Estonia

Finnish: Finnish Literature Exchange

Flemish: Flemish Literature Fund

French: The French Institute UK

German: New Books in German

Hebrew: The Institute for the Translation of Hebrew Literature

Hungarian: Hungarian Books and Translation Office

Icelandic: Icelandic Literature Fund

Irish: Irish Literature Exchange

Italian: Cultural Division of the Italian Ministry of Foreign Affairs

The Cultural Division of the Italian Ministry of Foreign Affairs offers funding to publishers for the translation into English of an Italian literary or scientific work. The next deadline will be in spring 2017 and details will be posted here when available.

Japanese: Japan Foundation

Korean: Literature Translation Institute of Korea

Latvian: Latvian Literature Centre

Lithuanian: Books from Lithuania

The Lithuanian Culture Institute promotes Lithuanian literature and Lithuania’s authors in the world. It runs the Translation promotion program www.booksfromlithuania.lt/en/translation-promotion-program and organises publishers’ visits to Lithuania, especially during the Vilnius Book Fair, the biggest in the Baltics (held each February). The LCI has recently launched its new website – lithuanianculture.lt (more info in English coming soon). Lithuania will be the market focus (along with Estonia and Latvia) at the 2018 London Book Fair.

Norwegian: Norwegian Literature Abroad (NORLA)

Polish: The Poland Translation Programme (The Polish Book Institute)

Portugese: Directorate of Books and Libraries (DGLB, Portugal)

Slovak: Centre for Information on Slovak Literature

Slovenian: Trubar Foundation

Spanish: New Spanish Books

Swedish: Swedish Arts Council

Swiss books: Pro Helvetia

Turkish: TEDA Project

Welsh: Wales Literature Exchange

Other useful sources of information

British Centre for Literary Translation website: Britain’s leading centre for the study and support of literary translation.

PEN Translates Award: This award will fund up to 75% of translation costs for selected projects. When a publisher’s annual turnover is less than £100,000 it will consider supporting up to 100% of translation costs.