The Australia Council for the Arts is proud to support Australian authors both here and internationally and today has announced the recipients of the most recent round of the Literature Structural Investment fund. This fund is made up of three streams which include translation, rights travel, and author travel.
The aim is to increase the profile of Australian authors and Australian literature internationally, support the dissemination of Australian literary works and culture through translations, and increase the capacity of publishers and rights sellers to pitch Australian books.
Wenona Byrne, Head of Literature at the Australia Council said: “As we re-open for international business and exchange, we’re proudly supporting writers and the Australian publishing industry to reconnect so that more Australian stories may be enjoyed around the world.”
These three initiatives together deliver a targeted strategy which is designed to maximise income from the work of Australian authors by stimulating rights sales and providing travel assistance for Australian authors to take advantage of opportunities associated with international publication of their work, such as book promotion and attending writers’ festivals.
For an author a translation deal, no matter how small, is a thrilling endorsement of the value of their work. Sometimes it can be the spark that ignites a chain of international rights sales, or it could simply represent invaluable cultural exchange. Translations are a way of expanding the readership and appreciation of Australian literature.
The most recent translation fund will support works to be published in the following territories: Ethiopia, Italy, Israel, France, Egypt, Netherlands, Ukraine and Germany.
Books assisted through the translation fund include the Hebrew translation of children’s book, “The Underdogs” by Kate and Jol Temple, and the translation of “Scary Monsters” by Michelle de Kretser into Arabic.
Successful applications to the author travel fund include a US tour for Nam Le’s poetry collection and a UK tour for Stella Prize winning poet Sarah Holland Batt.
For Melbourne based author Katherine Brabon this funding broadens her horizons in more ways than she could ever imagine.
“I am delighted to be a recipient of the Literature Travel Fund, which will enable me to travel to the UK early next year for the launch of my third novel, Body Friend, with Ultimo Press UK. This is my first work to be published internationally and being able to attend promotional events and visit bookshops, as well as meet the Ultimo team in the UK, is such an exciting and valuable opportunity. I wouldn’t have been able to do this without funding, so this Australia Council grant makes it all possible.”
First time recipient Ali Cobby Eckermann agrees, “Successful funding in any capacity can support an artist to achieve and grow. The Travel Fund will allow me to learn from international conversations unhindered by the boundaries I do face here. And I am super excited for this opportunity to extend the arena of network peers.”
