We are excited to announce that we are now inviting applications to SELTA’s 2024 Mentorship and CPD Programme from prospective mentees. Part of SELTA’s commitment to the future development of the Swedish-English literary translation sphere, this programme presents a valuable opportunity for translators at different stages of their career to hone their craft while gaining new professional skills and insight. 

The 2024 mentorship scheme will support and develop translators at different points in their translation journeys:

– Early-career translators. SELTA defines early-career translators as those who have not yet published a full-length work of literary translation. MFA and MA students in translation can apply, but priority may be given to those who do not have access to the kind of guidance already present in a translation degree programme.
– Mid-career translators. SELTA defines mid-career translators as those who have published one or more full-length works of literary translation. Priority will be given to applicants who have only published 1–2 full literary works.
– Undergraduate translators. SELTA is also offering one mentorship to an undergraduate student or recent graduate. Recent graduates must have graduated in 2022 or 2023 and not otherwise be eligible for the ‘early-career’ category. Priority will be given to applicants who studied/are studying the Swedish language at a university in the United Kingdom or the Republic of Ireland, but other suitably qualified students/recent graduates may be considered if appropriate.

 

Each translator will be paired with a more experienced mentor who will offer them guidance and support on a project of the mentee’s choosing over the course of the mentorship programme, meeting on at least five occasions. Mentors will include:

– Saskia Vogel. Our work together would be grounded in a writerly sensibility, deepening your craft and exploring what you want to achieve as a translator. We can set goals and demystify the publishing process. I love writing that pushes boundaries—in form, style, and storytelling—and any sort of propulsive reading experience…
– BJ Woodstein. As a translator, I enjoy developing further with every text I work on and I welcome challenges. I’ve translated a range of texts, but I’m especially passionate about children’s and YA literature. I’m also interested in translation theory as a philosophical and practical tool.
– Nichola Smalley. We will work well together if you’re interested in exploring the day-to-day ins-and-outs of the publishing industry as well as the complexities of language, voice and rhythm. I love political texts that harness form to bring their meaning to the reader in a new way, but I also love silliness and humour.
– Annie Prime. There is no such thing as a perfect translation, nor an untranslatable text. Translation is a series of decisions. I’d like to use my years of experience translating fantasy, children’s fiction, mystery and poetry to empower you to make these decisions with confidence.
– Ian Giles. As an experienced translator of genre fiction and narrative non-fiction, I’m eager to share what I’ve learned about centring the reader’s experience and explore what our translations are used for in industry.

 

Devised and administered by SELTA, the programme will foster rewarding working relationships while also allowing mentees to hone in on what would best support their own professional growth. We expect the programme to constitute a committed, active collaboration that will offer not only the chance to gain practical knowledge of the act of translation and the translation world, but also to establish professional networks and best working practices.  

The programme is scheduled to run March–October 2024 and will begin in conjunction with SELTA’s spring meeting during the 2024 London Book Fair. It is expected to conclude with a translation workshop in October 2024. While the majority of this programme will take place remotely, and it is expected that mentors and mentees will communicate electronically, the working group hopes that most participants will be able to commit to attending the start-up and final meetings in person. Mentees will receive reasonable remuneration for travel costs for attending the in-person events, in addition to a £300 bursary to support expenses incurred over the course of the mentorship.

If you wish to apply for a mentorship please complete the brief form available here. The deadline for applications is 23:59 GMT on Wednesday 20th December. Applications will be considered by the working group and mentors. Applicants will be informed of the outcome of their application by Friday 15 January. 

Contact us if you have any questions about the programme.