Please note: to apply you must be registered in our application management system a minimum of two business days prior to the closing date
Translation Fund for Literature
Key dates
Applications close: Tuesday 11 November 2025, 3pm AEDT
Notification date: Applicants will be notified of the outcome of their application within 12 weeks of the closing date.
Amount
You can apply for the following amounts only:
- $5,000 for translation costs for one work
- $10,000 for translation costs for more than one work, or works that are complex in content, for example longer literary works.
Requests for other amounts will not be accepted.
Contact
If you need help with your application, please call or email us.
Please note: Are you registering to use our Application Management System for the first time? Make sure you register well before the closing date. It can take up to two business days to process your registration.
International publishers may apply for a contribution towards the translation of works by living Australian authors.
Priority in this round will be for.
- creative writing such as fiction, poetry, writing for children and young people, and graphic novels
- narrative non-fiction (defined as autobiography, biography, essays, histories, literary criticism, or analytical prose)
- playwriting, where there is a published outcome.
Political memoirs, how-to guides and self-help, or personal development, cookery and craft books are not a priority for funding.
Most of the funding must be used to pay the rights holder and translator. Successful applicants must pay the rights holder and translator. This will be included as a condition of your funding agreement. Applicants will also be required to include evidence of this to acquit their grant. Australian publishers may also apply to support the translation of non-English language works to English, providing they are using an Australian translator.
Investments of AUD $5,000 or $10,000 per successful applicant are available.
Eligibility
Who can apply
- International publishers may apply for a contribution towards the translation of Australian works of creative writing, and a contribution towards promotion of the translated work.
- The work you are proposing to translate must be authored by an Australian citizen or an Australian permanent resident.
- Australian publishers may apply to support the translation and promotion of foreign language works, provided the translator is an Australian citizen or permanent resident.
Who can’t apply
- applicants who have already submitted two applications to this closing date
- applicants who do not hold the rights of the work to be translated
- applicants who have not provided the required support material – the translator’s CV and a signed copy of the rights agreement
- indie (self-published) authors
- applicants who have an overdue grant report
- applicants who owe money to Creative Australia.
Protocols
Your application must comply with the following protocols. We may contact you to request further information during the assessment process, or if successful, as a condition of your funding.
Protocols for using First Nations Cultural and Intellectual Property in the Arts
All applications involving First Nations artists, communities or subject matter must adhere to these Protocols, providing evidence of this in their application and support material. More information on the First Nations Protocols is available here.
Commonwealth Child Safe Framework
All successful applicants are required to comply with all Australian law relating to employing or engaging people who work or volunteer with children, including working with children checks and mandatory reporting. Successful organisations who provide services directly to children, or whose funded activities involve contact with children, will additionally be required to implement the National Principles for Child Safe Organisations.
Assessment
Your application will be considered by Industry Advisors with final decisions made by Creative Australia.
Assessment criteria
Submissions will be assessed against 2 criteria. Under each criterion are bullet points indicating what Industry Advisors may consider when assessing your application. You do not need to respond to every bullet point listed.
- Quality
Industry Advisors may consider:
- the quality of the work submitted for translation
- why this work is the right fit for your list
- the track record of the translator.
- Viability
Industry Advisors may consider:
- the publisher’s ability to market and promote the translated work
- the role of partners or collaborators, including confirmation of involvement
- how the funds will be spent with appropriate allocation for translation.
Application form
Applications are submitted via Creative Australia’s Application Management System. If you are using the system for the first time you will need to register your details to access the application form.
We do not accept entries submitted via post. Any material received by post will not be assessed and will be returned to the sender. If you think you will have difficulty submitting your submission online, please contact Artists Services.
The types of questions we ask in the application form include:
- a title for your application
- amount requested, $5,000AUD or $10,000AUD
- a description of your proposed activities that comprises:
- a brief description of the literary title
- why you consider that this work or author is right for your list
- a description of your publishing house, if relevant
- the language of the proposed edition
- how many copies of the book will be printed (minimum print run of 500 copies)
- how and where the book will be distributed and promoted
- for Australian publishers: whether you have published any other translated works, listing comparable titles.
- An outline of how the funds will be spent that comprises:
- the retail price of the book
- the amount the author/rights holder will be paid.
Support material
You must submit support material with your application. Creative Australia and Industry Advisors will review this support material to gain a better understanding of your project.
Your application will only be eligible if it includes the following essential support material:
- the translator’s CV, listing their relevant experience
- a copy of the signed rights agreement. If your agreement is in a language other than English, please also provide a brief summary in English.
The following support material may also be included with your application:
- evidence of other titles in your catalogue, or previous books published.
Our preferred method of receiving support material is via URLs (weblinks).
You can provide up to three URLs that link to content that is relevant to your proposal.
If you cannot supply support material via URLs, you may upload support material to your application as written material (Word and PDF).
Translation Fund for Literature FAQ
Can I apply for funding to translate a series of works?
Yes. You must provide copies of rights agreements for all titles in the series. You may include more than one title in the same application. You may also submit separate applications for each title. A maximum of two applications per publisher/applicant is allowed per round.
Can I provide an option agreement or letter instead of the signed rights agreement?
No. We need evidence that you hold the rights to the work in the application.
I’m a translator, can I apply for funds to translate a work?
Yes. However, you will need to provide a copy of the rights agreement and details of how the work will be published and distributed if there is no publisher in place. Applications from translators who don’t have a publisher in place can be submitted to Arts Projects for Individuals and Groups.
How do I know how much I should apply for, $5,000 or $10,000?
Consider the allocation of funds for all parties involved in the translation of works and the appropriate rates of payment when determining your funding request. Applications for the translation of books requiring specialist knowledge or which exceed standard word length may request a higher funding level. Please explain your rationale in your application.
Can I apply for funding to promote a translated work?
Yes. However, most of the funds should go towards the costs of translation.
Can I use the funds to offset other publishing and promotion costs when I am publishing an illustrated work / graphic novel?
Yes. However, you will need to explain how the funds will be allocated. The funds should not be used for printing and editorial costs.
Can I be paid in a currency other than Australian dollars?
No. We can only pay grants in Australian dollars. Please make sure your bank can transact in Australian dollars or has an established relationship with an intermediary bank that can.
If you need help with your application, contact Artists Services.
