PEN Translation Grants

PEN Translates was launched in 2012, with support from Arts Council England, to encourage UK publishers to acquire more books from other languages. The award helps UK publishers to meet the costs of translating new works into English – while ensuring translators are acknowledged and paid properly for their work.

The award funds up to 75% of translation costs for selected projects. When a publisher’s annual turnover is less than £500,000 they will consider supporting up to 100% of translation costs.

There are two submission periods each year, the first in April–May (with awards decided in December) and the second in October–November (with awards decided the following June).

The Selection Panel (a specially selected group of industry professionals including writers, translators and booksellers) will assess your application based on the submitted form and the supporting documents provided.

From 1 April 2024, in partnership with the South Asian Literature in Translation (SALT) project, they are running an additional strand: PEN Translates x SALT. Applicants can apply through the main submission portal, using the specific forms for the strand below. PEN Translates x SALT is open to publishers anywhere in the world other than South Asia (rather than just the UK), exclusively for works of South Asian literature. A separate Selection Panel considers these applications.

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Enquiries about submissions should be directed to English PEN. Please always refer to their website for complete details and information. 

Please note, this call is run by English PEN, not the Commonwealth Foundation.