The Taiwan Academy of the Taipei Economic and Cultural Office in Los Angeles (TECO-LA) partners with the American Literary Translators Association (ALTA) to launch the “Emerging Translator Mentorship: Literature from Taiwan” program. Its primary goal is to discover talented English translators and enhance the publication of Taiwan Literature. The program will select one emerging translator who will receive mentoring from an experienced translator on a translation project. Online submissions for this program are being accepted until November 30, 2023, at 11:59pm PT.
Founded in 1978, ALTA is a U.S.-based organization dedicated exclusively to literary translation. ALTA annually hosts the largest gathering of literary translations enthusiasts in the United States. Since its inception in 2015, the ALTA Emerging Translator Mentorship Program was designed to foster a strong, collaborative relationship between an experienced translator and an emerging translator on a translation project. This program has successfully supported more than 18 language translators, enabling them to become integral participants in the ALTA annual conference.
In 2022, TECO-LA initiated a partnership with ALTA, marking the beginning of a promising collaboration. Since then, two exceptionally talented emerging translators, Sandy Chen and Enshia Li, have been selected to showcase the literary works of Taiwanese authors at ALTA events. Notable works presented include "Parting Gaze (目送)" by Lung Ying-tai and "Perhaps, Nothing to do with Love (或許，與愛無關)" by Yuan Chiung-chiung.
Translators who have published no more than one full-length translated work are eligible to apply. The Ministry of Culture will provide support to the selected translator to work with the mentor for a nine-month period starting in February 2024. Steve Bradbury, an esteemed American translator with extensive experience in teaching modernist literature in Taiwan and translating the works of contemporary Chinese-language poets, will serve as the mentor. His remarkable achevements include winning the PEN Award for Poetry in Translation for his translation of Taiwanese poet Amang’s Raised by Wolves: Poems and Conversations.
The selected translator will have the opportunity to participate in the ALTA annual conference in the fall of 2024, facilitating valuable networking connections with publishers. For more information or to apply, please visit https://literarytranslators.org/mentorships.