Deep Vellum is inviting nominations for the third edition of the Best Literary Translations anthology, to be guest-edited by renowned poet and translator Arthur Sze. The submission period is open until January 8, 2025, for translations published in literary journals between January 1, 2024, and December 31, 2024.

This annual anthology celebrates the art of literary translation, spotlighting exceptional translations of poetry, short fiction, literary essays, and hybrid-genre texts into English from any language(s). The Best Literary Translations anthology has become a key platform for showcasing the diversity of global literature in English translation. Its inaugural edition, guest-edited by Jane Hirshfield, was published in April 2024 and featured Nigerian writer Kola Tubosun, among others. The second edition, guest-edited by Cristina Rivera Garza, is set to be released in Spring 2025.

Deep Vellum particularly encourages submissions of translations from underrepresented languages, as well as works by women, LGBTQIA+, and BIPOC translators. Submissions should demonstrate either traditional approaches to translation or more experimental techniques that explore the relationships between languages and cultures.

Submission Guidelines:

  • Journals and magazines can nominate up to seven translations they published between January 1 and December 31, 2024.
  • Individual translators may self-nominate one or two of their own translations published in literary journals during the same period.
  • Translations must have been published in a US or US-affiliated literary journal or magazine.
  • Translations published in book form, unpublished works, or works expected to appear in book form before June 2026 are ineligible.

To submit, nominations must be made through Submittable. The submission process includes completing a questionnaire as part of the application.

Deadline: January 8, 2025.

For complete guidelines and FAQs, visit the submission page here. For further inquiries, contact the team at [email protected].