Languages other than English Publishing - Literature

Languages Other than English (LOTE) Publishing Initiative

Closing date: 24 September 2010
Decisions advised: December 2010
Projects may start: 1 January 2011

The languages other than English (LOTE) publishing initiative supports the translation and publication of works by authors writing in languages other than English.

The Literature Board will accept proposals from Australian publishers who wish to translate into English and publish the work of living Australian authors who write in languages other than English. Publishers may apply for assistance with writer's and translator's fees and some production costs. The LOTE Publishing Initiative is intended to encourage partnerships between writers, translators and publishers and to introduce the work of LOTE writers to a wider Australian readership.

Proposals will be accepted in the following genres only:

• fiction
• literary non-fiction (defined by the board as autobiography, biography, essays, histories, literary criticism or analytical prose)
• children's literature
• poetry
• writing for performance (theatre, radio)
• writing for new media (defined by the board as original works of a literary nature for delivery predominantly via computer, mobile phone or similar device).

Multiple and hybrid genre projects are accepted.

Works for new media will be accepted where projects display either a poetic aesthetic, a narrative structure, a developed fictive world or a sustained analysis of events of a non-fiction nature, in line with the board’s definition of literary non-fiction. Works may include audience participation, user-generated content, and/or game-play, but must have a clear and consistent story world.

Please note:

The Literature Board does not assist in the creation of film and television scripts; textbooks and other works created for primary, secondary and tertiary educational purposes; newsletters; books which are primarily works of interviews; local and oral histories; military studies; instruction manuals; how-to books; academic theses or course work (including course work in creative writing); bibliographies; dictionaries; encyclopaedias; professional reference titles; guide books; catalogues; self-help, lifestyle and hobby books; or works of physical or natural sciences, theology, psychology, cooking, medicine or law.

In the case of new media applications, the literature board does not support works intended for delivery predominantly via cinema or television screen or works intended as marketing support for another work.

Funding for the production of new media works is not provided.

Publishers may seek the board’s assistance with one title only.

Publishers wishing to publish an anthology of LOTE writing must contact literature staff prior to submitting a proposal.

The board will consider proposals for the translation and publication of both new works and those that have been published in their original language by professional publishers within the last five years.

The nominated writer must be an Australian citizen or have permanent resident status in Australia. The nominated translator does not have to be an Australian citizen or reside in Australia.

Publishers must print at least 500 copies of a work of fiction or non-fiction and 250 copies of a playscript or work of poetry. Titles must have national distribution, ie, they must be distributed in every state and territory. Publishers are not eligible to apply for assistance to fund publication of their own written work.

You can apply for:

• Up to $15,000 per title towards full-length works of fiction and non-fiction allocated as follows: $7,000 for the writer, $5,000 for the publisher and $3,000 for the translator
• Up to $10,000 per title towards playscripts and works of poetry (including collected and selected editions) allocated as follows: $5,000 for the writer, $2,500 for the publisher and $2,500 for the translator.

This initiative is open to Australian publishers who are registered with the literature board.

To register, publishers must be legally constituted as an organisation, have previously published at least five titles (not necessarily literary), at least two of which must have been published in the two years prior to application. Publishers must also have works commercially available for sale with effective national promotion and distribution systems. Publishers who receive payment from writers to publish their works are not eligible for registration.

Applicants must meet the general eligibility requirements.

Selection criteria

Applications must demonstrate:

• Literary merit, including the writer and translator involved
• Evidence of the organisation's thorough planning and ability to carry out the proposal to a high standard.

You can apply online for all Australia Council grants. If you would like a hard copy application form, contact Australia Council staff on (02) 9215 9000 or 1800 226 912. Information on how support material should be supplied (either electronically or via post) is provided when you complete the online grant application.

You must provide evidence of your eligibility and all required support material by the application closing date. Applicants must submit:

• At least ten pages of quality literary translation of the work for which funding is sought
• Curricula vitae of the nominated author and translator
• At least two references from literary peers, ie publishers, academics etc
• Copies of reviews (in English) of previously published works (optional).

Support material before the board meeting

Some applicants may be required to submit additional support material as detailed below. This support material can be submitted after the closing date but must be submitted before the board meeting if your application is to be eligible for consideration. The date by which this support material must be received is 10 working days before the board meeting.

When proposals are submitted from organisations or individuals that involve major performing arts board (MPAB)-funded companies, a letter of agreement between the applicant and the MPAB-funded company must be provided to both the MPAB and the literature board. For further details, please contact MPAB staff directly.

In line with the National Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander arts policy and its underpinning principles, the Australia Council requires that applications for projects containing representations of artistic/cultural practice or intended outcomes relating to Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander artists or communities must provide letters from relevant communities or artists. Letters must show clear evidence of support and agreement for the activities undertaken. In preparing your application, you may wish to consult the Indigenous protocol guides in song, performance, writing, new media and visual arts.

Important information

Any material supplied in addition to the required support material will not be considered in the assessment of your application. If you need assistance in determining the support material you are required to submit or when it must be submitted, please contact Australia Council staff.