English PEN

English PEN is a charity registered with the Charity Commission for England and Wales (charity number 1125610).

English PEN is a charity registered in England and Wales that exists to promote the education of the public through understanding, appreciation and development of writing in any style or form, and to promote the human rights of writers, authors, editors, publishers and others engaged in writing throughout the world. It also relieves poverty and distress among dependants, family and household members of beneficiaries. It gives through grants for translators and publishers, its online magazine PEN Transmissions, and its public events programme. Its annual giving is £152,219, and its translation support can fund up to 75% of translation costs for selected projects, or up to 100% when a publisher's annual turnover is less than £500,000.

Priority Areas

English PEN’s organisational grant-giving centres on literature in translation. PEN Translates helps publishers meet the costs of translating new works into English and ensures translators are acknowledged and paid properly; its SALT strand supports full-length South Asian translations. Separate promotional grants support publishers, festivals, bookshops, venues, libraries, universities and other event organisers and programmers to promote new translations through public-facing activity, including tours, launches, festival programming, online events and podcasts. In assessing PEN Translates proposals, English PEN values literary quality, the strength of the publishing project and contribution to bibliodiversity, including work that champions harder-to-access languages and cultures. Promotional activity is expected to be well-considered, cost-effective and strategically designed.

Themes

• Literary translation
• South Asian literature

Geographic Focus

UK.

Organisations can apply to PEN Translates (including its SALT strand) and the South Asian promotional grants. For PEN Translates, publishers submit book-translation applications during submission windows, using an application form and supporting project documents; promotional-grant applicants complete the application form and submit it through the portal.

Deadlines:

• Spring window: 1 April to 31 May.
• Autumn window: 1 October to 30 November.

Application windows:

• PEN Translates
  • The spring submission window is open April–May.
  • The autumn submission window is open October–November.
• PEN Presents x SALT: Opens on 1 April, closing on 31 May.
• Promotional grants for South Asian literature in translation
  • Open for submissions every April/May.
  • Open for submissions every October/November.

Who can apply:

• PEN Translates: The grant is open to UK-based publishers only.
• PEN Translates x SALT: PEN Translates x SALT is open to publishers anywhere in the world other than South Asia, exclusively for works of South Asian literature.
• PEN Presents x SALT: Translators anywhere in the world; translators at any stage of their career.
• Promotional grants for South Asian literature in translation: Publishers, festivals, bookshops, venues, libraries, universities and other event organisers and programmers anywhere outside South Asia are eligible to apply.

What to send:

• PEN Translates: An application form detailing how the project meets the PEN Translates assessment criteria, the original-language manuscript, a sample translation, the translator’s CV, confirmation of rights, and a budget.
• PEN Presents x SALT: A 5,000-word sample translation, along with the equivalent passage from the original work.

What the charity says:

• It prioritises literary quality.
• It values the strength of the publishing project.
• It values contribution to bibliodiversity.
• For promotional grants, lower requested amounts are more likely to be fundable.
• Promotional activity should be well-considered, cost-effective and strategically designed.