THE GOETHE-INSTITUT’S TRANSLATION GRANT

Background:

The Goethe-Institut’s translation grant programme “Translations of German books into other languages” provides support to non-German publishers with the publication of translated German titles. This enables important academic contributions, challenging fiction, literature for children and young adults, and selected non-fiction works, to be made accessible to non-German-speaking readers. The programme serves cultural-political aims and is an important guiding instrument of cultural and educational foreign policy. In cases where an application for a translation grant is successful, the Goethe-Institut contributes part of the translation costs to the publisher, payable on publication of the translated work. It is not envisaged that the Goethe-Institut will finance the full costs of the translation or printing or editorial costs.
The programme has been running for nearly 35 years, during which time they have given financial support to the publication of around 5000 books in 45 languages.

Priority is given to works in the following subject areas:

  • democracy, the rule of law, and civil society;
  • current regional and global issues;
  • the cultural dimension of European integration;
  • recent German history;
  • outstanding works of contemporary German literature.

Consideration will also be given to:
 
  • classical German literature
  • contemporary drama
  • quality literature for children and young adults

Eligibility:

Only non-German publishers are entitled to apply for translation grants.

Grant:

In cases where an application for a translation grant is successful, the Goethe-Institut contributes part of the translation costs to the publisher, payable on publication of the translated work. It is not envisaged that the Goethe-Institut will finance the full costs of the translation or printing or editorial costs.

Application deadlines:

The committee meets four times a year as follows:

  •  End of January: fiction; literature for children and young adults
  •  End of April: all categories
  •  End of July: fiction; literature for children and young adults
  •  End of October: all categories

Next meeting:

The Goethe-Instituts accept applications all year round. They are dealt with at the next meeting due to take place. However, please note that applications which arrive less than four weeks before the next due meeting in Munich cannot usually be taken into consideration.

For academic works longer submission deadlines apply because a validation from the “Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft” (German research organisation) is required. In order to be able to process your application at the April meeting, the documents should have arrived by the 31 January at the Goethe-Institut’s central office, and for the October meeting by the 31 July.

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