04/04/2023

Australian publishers are encouraged to apply for the Taiwanese Works in Translation grant program, worth up to $30,000.

The program has been in operation since 2015 to encourage translation of Taiwan's literature, including fiction, non-fiction, picture books and comics with publication in non-Chinese markets.

In 2016 Text Publishing secured a grant of NT$500,000 through the program to translate Wu Ming-Yi's The Stolen Bicycle into English, with translation by Darryl Sterk. Published in 2017, it became the first book by a Taiwanese author to be nominated for the Man Booker International Prize and it was longlisted in 2018.

Funding of up to NT$600,000 (around A$30,000) is available, and can be used to cover licensing and translation fees, as well as production and promotional costs (including international travel for the author). Priority is given to books that have received the Golden Tripod Award, the Golden Comic Award, or the Taiwan Literature Award.

Applications are open twice each year in April and October with full information on the grant, including an overview of available books and contacts for translators, can be found on the Books from Taiwan website, along with an overview of the Taiwanese book market in 2022.