Calling German Translators: Mentorship Grant for Irish Literature

Are you a literary translator working from English to German? Have you ever wanted to translate a book from Ireland?

Literature Ireland is pleased to announce a funded mentorship for a literary translator working from English to German. The successful applicant will receive €2,000 and guidance from well-known translator, Hans-Christian Oeser.

Applicants should be new to working with Irish literature, and should be interested in Irish culture and Irish writing. The mentorship is open to translators who have dealt with other anglophone literatures and who wish to widen their scope of experience. This opportunity seeks to foster a new generation of German-language literary translators with expertise in Irish literature and culture. 

The mentorship will take place from August to October 2023 and will comprise six sessions of intensive collaboration, advice and support with Dublin- and Berlin-based translator Hans-Christian Oeser. The sessions will most likely be a combination of virtual and face-to-face meetings. Where necessary, reasonable travel expenses (agreed in advance) will be reimbursed.

Requirements:

• Applicants must have previously published at least one book in translation from English to German
• Applicants should have a contract with a publisher for a text by an Irish author, OR should have a fully developed project proposal for the same. 
• The following genres are eligible for consideration: fiction, drama, literary non-fiction, and poetry.
• The project must not be published until after the mentorship is completed.

How to apply:

• Applications should be submitted for the attention of Sinéad Mac Aodha, Director of Literature Ireland, to translate@literatureireland.com 
• Please include a cover letter, a CV and a list of your publications to date, and a copy of your translator’s contract with the publisher, or your firm project proposal.
• Deadline for applications is 6 p.m. Irish time, Thursday, 15 June 2023.
  The decision of Literature Ireland shall be final.

Posted to on 24 Mar 2023.