Southeast Asian Translation Mentorship 2023–24

The seams and Ethos Books (Singapore) are calling for applications from emerging translators of Southeast Asian literature into English for their first Southeast Asian Translation Mentorship, held from 1 December 2023 to 31 August 2024. 

One emerging translator will receive mentoring from members of the seams, one of whom will serve as the primary mentor. The mentorship will hone the mentee’s literary translation skills, equip them with useful knowledge about the ins and outs of the literary translation industry, expand their networks in the Southeast Asian literary translation and publishing sector, and support them in seeing their proposed translation project through to publication. 

By the end of the mentorship, the mentee will have a complete translation sample and proposal for them to send out to publishers. The mentee will receive 3,000 SGD to help support them through the mentorship period.

Eligibility

The mentorship is open to emerging translators who are applying to translate a book-length work by a Southeast Asian author into English. There are no restrictions regarding form or genre of the proposed translation project: all literary forms will be considered.  

Applicants should self-identify as an emerging translator. 

Southeast Asian Translation Mentorship application guidelines

Deadline: 30 September 2023