Following the success of the inaugural Jewish Writers in Translation workshop in 2019, Jewish Book Week will once again be offering translators and Jewish writers from five European countries the opportunity to work together, to translate a short piece of fiction or non-fiction of 3,000 – 5,000 words, from their mother tongue into English. The aim is to showcase the variety of Jewish experiences in contemporary Europe and bring these to a wider audience.
Submissions are invited from Jewish writers from Poland, Spain, France, Germany and the Netherlands whose work is informed by their Jewish experience and heritage. The author may or may not have been published; they may not however have had their work previously translated into English.
This workshop is open to any Jewish writer, either emerging or more established, who is committed to pursuing a career in writing and wants to reach a wider audience through translation of their work into English. Applicants should be working on a specific project, with the aim of publication, and have an aspiration for their work to be read by an English-speaking audience.
Please submit a short piece of fiction or non-fiction of 3,000 – 5,000 words which is informed by your Jewish experience. This piece could be something you are currently working on, an essay or piece of journalism already published, or an extract from a larger work such as a thesis or a book. If the item is a selection from a longer piece of writing, it must be presented as a coherent standalone piece and be accompanied by a short introductory paragraph to contextualise it. Please also submit a covering letter of no more than two pages to contain the following:
- A short biography
- Details of any previous publications and if these have been translated into any other languages
- Why you think your work would appeal to an English-speaking audience
- Your level of English (it is not necessary to have a high level of English to participate in this workshop)
Submissions should be emailed to Sarah Gluckstein at Jewish Book Week by Monday 18th January 2021 at sarah.gluckstein@jewishbookweek.com.
The five successful writers will spend a month working remotely with their translator during April-May 2021. The translators will prepare a draft in advance of the workshop. The writer may or may not have been published; they will not however have had their work previously translated into English.
JBW is also looking for translators from Spanish and Dutch. Applications are invited to take part in a translation workshop in April / May 2021.
The translators will receive a stipend and any additional expenses will be covered. It is not necessary to apply in conjunction with a writer, however, if the translator would like to work with a specific writer, we would welcome their suggestions.
Translator applicants should send a brief statement (max one page; no CVs please) to Sarah Gluckstein at Jewish Book Week (sarah.gluckstein@jewishbookweek.com) explaining why they would like to take part in the project. The deadline for applications is Wednesday 18 November 2020. Further details will also be available on the Jewish Book Week website.
The works will be collected together into a short anthology and a selection of participants will be invited to take part in an event in London at Jewish Book Week 2022 on writers in translation.
For more information please contact Sarah Gluckstein
sarah.gluckstein@jewishbookweek.com
Jewish Book Week is London’s oldest annual literary festival and brings together writers and speakers from all over the world. The festival features Jewish themes and writers, as well as discussions on the most important issues of the day. Over eighty events are presented during the festival itself, covering history, journalism, philosophy, science, art, music, poetry and fiction.
One comment
Hello, my name is Yonas Seifu, and I’m from Ethiopia. Your program, as
well as the titles of your publications, were seen and read. It’s
quite lovely. I have an idea for this piece of writing: why don’t you
convert it into Amharic? The Amharic language is widely spoken in
Ethiopia. If you decide to translate and publish it, a large number of
people will have the opportunity to evaluate your ministry. I am a
fair-paying translation and publishing facilitator, therefore if you
want to work with me, I am available to be your coworker or customer.
Thank you very much!
Your benevolent brother
Yonas Seifu