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Our guidelines for translation grants are simplified

Great news for publishers and translators: as of the 1st of July we have improved and simplified a couple of things in our guidelines for translation grants. We hope that these changes will give foreign publishers an extra push to keep translating literature from Flanders, since we realize that these are still challenging times. In addition, we are strengthening our emphasis on fair pay and visibility for translators. This way we hope to improve the precarious situation of literary translators.

Translators' House
Translators' House © Bob Van Mol

These are the most important changes:

  • The maximum of four translated titles by one author per publisher will be dismissed. This means that publishers can now also apply for a fifth or sixth (etc.) title by the same author. The maximum grant amount of 8,000 euro will remain the same.
  • The reduction of the grant total from the third title onwards will also be dismissed. Up until now, the grant amount of the third title was reduced with 15% and the fourth title with 30%. From now on, all titles will be fully subsidized with a maximum grant amount of 8,000 euro.
  • The minimum grant amount for the translation of picture books will be raised. Since the translation costs for picture books are often very low we used to pay a flat-rate minimum of 150 euro for these costs. This  is now raised to 250 euro.
  • The visibility and therefore also the (financial) reward for translators is something that needs attention. That’s why we will provide a bonus of 250 euro for publishers who put the name of the translator on the cover. We hope that this will eventually become a habit that makes translators and their work more visible and more appreciated, securing them a better socio-economic position.
Jul 6th, 2022