Very few works of literature written in languages other than English ever find their way into the US market. Statistics suggest that of all books published annually in the US, less than 3% are works of translation, and that includes retranslations, reissues, and non-literary works. The number of literary fiction, non-fiction and poetry is more like 0.3%, mostly comprised of European literature since countries such as France, Germany, Greece, Italy, etc., provide support for the translation of their literature into English and other languages. Unfortunately, translations of Iranian literature, especially contemporary Iranian literature, are far and few between. Not only are there relatively few professional and proficient Persian/Farsi to English literary translators, but there is also a dearth of financial support and funding for such translations.

The standard process by which publishers consider a work of translation is through the submission of a proposal and a sample translation. The proposal is submitted either by an author, or better yet, by a literary agent. To find a literary agent, writers are generally required to have several samples of their work in translation.

Writers interested in pursuing a professional writing career in the US should consider their decision in commissioning a work of translation as a financial investment in the future of their work. They must research and select a translator who has experience in translating works of the same genre and who can create English versions of an original text that stand on their own and do not read like a work of translation. A fluent and fluid translation is what all writers of literature hope for.

Translators, when working with a living writer, work closely with the writer to fully grasp the style, structure and substance of his or her work, and they often do their best work when they are entrusted with the final decision in creating the English text. It is therefore essential for writers to select a translator whose work they believe in and who they can trust to make those ultimate decisions in rendering their work into English.

The fee for professional literary translation is generally $100 to $200 per 1000 (English) words, depending on the nature and complexity of the original text. There are of course instances when a translator would agree to a lesser fee if he or she feels strongly about the work and believes it stands a good chance of joining the ranks of the published translations that make up that 0.3%-3% of the US market for books. Writers and translators can seek funding assistance from organizations that offer grants and awards to literary translation projects. A list of these organizations is available through The American Literary Translators Association (ALTA) and the PEN American Center. Both these organizations can also provide writers with names of potential translators.

The Translation Project is a nonprofit organization whose mission is to bring contemporary Iranian literature to audiences in multiple languages and media. This means we create literary translations and then produce collaborative multimedia art projects based on this literature to increase its exposure and integrate it into the public consciousness via broader audiences. To that end, after an extensive editorial process, we sponsor and produce literary translations of selected texts we feel have a strong chance of publication. We are therefore not a translation agency, but do refer the many requests for translations we receive to professional literary translators to proceed with at their own discretion. The Translation Project’s first book project, six years in the making, is BELONGING: New Poetry by Iranians Around the World (North Atlantic Books, July 2008). Stay tuned for our next “Call for Submission” as we plan our next book project.