Grants for Translation of Swedish Literature and Drama to Other Nordic Languages

Eligibility Criteria

• Eligible Countries: Nordic countries (Denmark, Finland, Faeroe Islands, Greenland, Iceland, Norway, Sapmi)
• Acceptable Course or Subjects: The scholarship will be awarded for translation of Swedish literature and drama in any genre, including prose fiction, poetry, picture books, comics, graphic novels, non-fiction in the area of general culture, essays, and drama for publication in book form.
• Admissible Criteria: To be eligible, the applicants must meet all the following criteria:
  • Applications can be submitted by professional publishing houses in the Nordic countries.
  • Publishing houses must have a developed plan for the distribution of the translation.
  • Publishing houses must have documented quality publications and professional distribution channels.
  • Translators and authors cannot apply for the grant directly.
  • The translation must be done directly from Swedish or any of the national minority languages.
  • A signed contract between the publishing house and the translator must be provided.
  • The translator must confirm receipt of the full agreed fee before disbursement of the grant.

Offered Benefits

The grant covers either translation costs or both translation and some production costs for translated editions of Swedish works. A maximum of SEK 20,000 can be granted as production support for fully illustrated four-color picture books, non-fiction, or comics and graphic novels. The grant is intended to promote Swedish contemporary literature, with priority given to new language introductions, children’s and young adult literature, and lesser-known languages. The grant does not cover copyright costs.

Application Process

Applications must be submitted online via the Swedish Arts Council’s online service. The application must include:

• A scanned copy of the signed contract between the publishing house and the rights holder.
• A scanned copy of the signed contract between the publishing house and the translator.
• A PDF/Word file or e-book of the original book.
• For anthologies, scanned/photocopied samples of the complete included material.
• The translator’s list of previous translations from Swedish.
• A copy of the application form.

Applications are evaluated three times a year. Incomplete applications or those submitted after the deadline will be evaluated in the next round.