Call for submissions for participation in the Sample Translation Competition for Emerging Translators of Hungarian Literature
The Petőfi Cultural Agency Nonprofit Limited Liability Company (registered office: 1117 Budapest, Garda utca 2; company registration number: 01-10-141338; hereinafter referred to as PKÜ) is launching a competition entitled “Sample Translation Competition for Young Translators of Hungarian Literature,” for which it invites submissions from talented translators of Hungarian into foreign languages. The goal of this grant opportunity is to help young translators start their careers and promote high-quality literary translation.
1. Target group for the call for submissions
The call is open to literary translators who have published a maximum of one literary translation (stand-alone volume) from Hungarian in the given foreign language. We can only accept submissions from natural persons, so we cannot consider submissions from companies or other legal entities.
2. Expectations
In the framework of this competition, applicants may apply for the translation of a part of a Hungarian work which has not yet been published in the given language and which the translator considers important. The work to be translated can be contemporary or classical literature from any genre. The excerpt to be translated must be 30 pages (1,800 characters per page) for prose, 300 lines for poetry, and a complete drama of at least 40 pages for drama.
Applicants can submit up to two translation proposals per person.
3. Amount available under this Call for Submissions
For the successful projects, PKÜ will conclude a usage contract with the selected applicants, which will stipulate, among other things, that the applicant grants PKÜ a non-exclusive, non-territorial, non-transferable, non-transferable and non-sublicensable license to use the translated work for promotional purposes.
Award: gross award of 150 000 HUF per sample translation.
Remuneration is taxable income as defined in Act CXVII of 1995 on Personal Income Tax and is therefore subject to personal income tax.
4. Framework conditions of the call
The available budget is HUF 2 100 000 gross.
Deadline for submissions: 15 April 2023.
Please note that applications submitted after the deadline will be automatically excluded from the evaluation process. Applicants may submit supplemental materials up to the deadline specified in the notice regarding anything missing from the submission.
Notification of the outcome of the evaluation: 15 May 2023.
Deadline for the translation of the selected work or part of a work: 15 September 2023.
PKÜ reserves the right to modify the above dates before their expiry in particularly justified cases and will publish a separate notice.
5. Application form and documents
Documents required to submit an application:
- Application form (Annex 1 - signed, in PDF format);
- Declarations and data request form (Annex 2 - to be completed online);
- Professional CV (PDF format);
- Publication list (with contact details of published translations, in PDF format);
- A brief description of the work to be translated in Hungarian and an explanation of the importance of the translation and publication of the work in the target-language country (PDF format);
- 5-page extract of the translation in progress, including the original text (PDF format).
Documents of interest (if any, must be provided):
- A contract or letter of intent with a publisher;
- critical feedback;
- professional recommendation.
Applications for this Call for Submissions must be sent by email only, accompanied by the above documents, to the following email address: applications@plf.hu (please indicate the title of the call in the subject line). Please note that we can only accept applications for translations of the selected work if the publisher has a non-exclusive right to use the translation.
Clarification by email: Bianka Lévai, applications@plf.hu
6. Evaluation and assessment of the call for applications
Applications will be assessed in one stage after the deadline. Applications will be assessed and recommendations made by a committee of experts appoint-ed by the PKÜ. On the basis of the recommendations made by the committee, the decision will be reached by the Director General of the PKÜ. The selected applicants will be awarded a usage contract by the PKÜ.
7. Annexes
Annex 1: Application form template
Annex 2: Declarations and data request form