Submissions

Applications for ALTA's Mentorship Program are accepted annually from early September - November 30.

DEADline extended to December 12, 2024 for the 2025 mentorships in polish and in poetry from hong kong!

All applications for all mentorships are accepted through our online form and must include:

• Your CV (please note that a CV is different from a resume—a CV provides a full, comprehensive history of your academic and work experience, your publication history, and any past training in relevant fields)
• A project proposal of no more than 1000 words. Projects must be reasonably expected to be completed within the scope of the mentorship. Proposals should include: 
  • The author's name and project title clearly stated in the first paragraph
  • Information about the original author
  • Information about the importance of the source text
  • How the emerging translator would benefit from mentorship
• A sample translation of 8-10 pages from the proposed project (double-spaced if prose), along with the corresponding source text IN ONE DOCUMENT. Prose, poetry, hybrid work, and drama are all welcome.

Note: Prose includes fiction, literary/creative nonfiction, theater, and hybrid work. Poetry includes poetry in any form, including hybrid work.

Eligibility

Emerging Mentorship (and First Look) Programs

• An emerging translator is someone who has published no more than one full-length work of literary translation.
• Though contemporary English is the target language, the emerging translator need not live in the United States.
• While ALTA’s Mentorship Program is open to all applicants, we especially encourage applications from translators of color, translators with disabilities, LGBTQ+ translators, and those who don't have an MA, an MFA, or some other equivalent type of training, such as a mentorship from the National Centre for Writing’s Emerging Translator Mentorships (UK).
• The selected mentee’s proposed project will be worked on based on availability. (It's good practice to secure the rights before beginning a project, but applicants are not expected to secure rights in order to submit their proposal. We do encourage applicants to check on the status of the rights).
• While applicants are encouraged to apply simultaneously to multiple mentorship programs (such as those offered by the National Centre for Writing, LTAC/QWF, SELTA, etc), applicants are not eligible to participate in ALTA's Mentorship Program if enrolled in a concurrent mentorship.
• Please note: While this program includes a stipend for travel to the annual conference, it is is distinct from the ALTA Travel Fellowships. Current mentees are not eligible to apply for an ALTA Travel Fellowship. Previous years' Fellows are welcome to apply for the Mentorship Program, however.
• All mentees are eligible for the First Look Publishers Program in the year of their mentorship.

Mentorship Application FAQ