Emerging translators

Translation House Looren organises dialogue sessions at a number of Swiss universities, in which experienced translators working in various language combinations talk about their work and careers. These encounters address training, career-building and everyday practice, but can also include a mini-workshop where the participants work on their own short translations. 

We are always pleased to hear from teaching staff at literature faculties who would like to offer their students such a dialogue, for instance as part of a seminar. We ask interested students to make requests to their own faculties. Are you interested in offering a translator dialogue at your institution, for instance in a seminar session or as part of a further education programme? We are happy to connect you with translators working in a variety of language combinations. Please contact Florence Widmer.

How can a book I’d like to translate end up getting published? How do I get my first translation contract with a publisher? How do I work with writers? What is a joute de traduction? And can anyone make a living out of literary translation? These and other questions about starting out in the industry are the focus of Translation House Looren’s public events. Industry professionals, editors and experienced translators address strategies for getting started, funding opportunities, professional politics and working together in the literary world.

Our nationwide Emerging Translators Day, featuring several different events every autumn, is an ideal opportunity to find out more about translators’ working lives and to make new contacts with emerging translators, publishing people and professionals from the literary world. Held in conjunction with the Centre de traduction littéraire since 2025, this year’s big day is Friday, 20 November 2026. Find out more about the events – taking place online, in Zurich and Lausanne – right here, closer to the time. Come along and join in!

In conjunction with the University of Zurich, we organise regular practice-oriented workshops led by professional literary translators. Advanced students (from master’s level) get two days of insights into the profession, practise literary translation and are introduced to translation theory and criticism. The workshops also provide information on the publishing industry and the importance of translation in the literary world. Before and during the workshop, participants work on a first literary translation from a range of languages into German, receiving professional feedback.

Under certain conditions, workshops are open to non-students with initial translation experience.

Are you interested in holding a workshop at your institution, or taking part as an emerging translator? Please contact Florence Widmer.

Translation House Looren offers four one-week mentorships per year for emerging translators. We favour applicants with a degree in languages, literature or translation who have gained initial translation experience. During the week, emerging translators/mentees work with professional translators/mentors on a translation project of their choice at Translation House Looren, producing a dossier for pitching to publishers.

Translation House Looren finds professional translators suitable for the language combination and genre and interested in mentoring, but applicants can suggest mentors of their choice during the application process.

• One mentorship is awarded for a first translation between Swiss national languages, supported by the Oertli Foundation.
• One mentorship is awarded for a first translation from English into a Swiss national language, supported by the Max Geilinger Foundation.
• Two mentorships are supported by Pro Helvetia and must bear relation to Switzerland. Applicants must be translating a work of Swiss literature, have Swiss nationality or have lived in Switzerland for at least three years.

Applications for one-week mentorships taking place from January 2027 to the end of June 2027 are open from 1 September 2026.
Applications for the second half of 2027 are open from 1 February 2027.

Please submit the following:

• CV
• Proof of completed degree (exceptions may be made if other suitable qualifications can be proved)
• Proof of initial experience in literary translation (seminar participation, published translations in journals etc., other mentoring or emerging translation programmes)
• Translation sample (10-15 pages)
• Matching pages of the original
• Project description with translation challenges and open questions
• Motivation letter for a mentorship with Translation House Looren residency

Please send the documents to Florence Widmer.

Read our blog interview with Mascha and Jelica on the translation mentorship

In cooperation with various Swiss universities, we organise one-semester mentorships taking place largely online, with an additional intensive one-week stay at Translation House Looren for the mentees and mentors, analogue to our one-week mentorships.

Usually in the autumn semester, the mentorships are offered within the participating faculties and are open to students at the following institutions:

• University of Lausanne, Centre de traduction littéraire (CTL)
• University of Geneva, Faculté de traduction et d’interpretation (FTI)
• University of Zurich, Scandinavian studies with the University of Basel, Nordic studies

The call for applications, registration and applications processes are organised primarily via the university faculties, working in close cooperation with Translation House Looren. If you are interested, please contact the individuals and offices named in the calls for application.

Are you motivated to join the profession, with initial experience in literary translation, and have ideally taken part in emerging translator projects at Translation House Looren? Now looking for further-reaching practical insights into the job? In some workshops for professional literary translators organised by Translation House Looren, there is an opportunity to sit in on text discussions between experienced translators.

You’ll find out more on the professional workshops at Translation House Looren open to one-day visits in our Agenda. Are you interested in a specific workshop and would like to find out when visits are possible? Please contact Florence Widmer.

We award three residency grants a year to emerging translators with a publication contract for a first literary translation for a professional publishing house. Applications for a residency grant for a first translation supported by Pro Helvetia must bear reference to Switzerland. Translators can apply if they are working on a Swiss book, hold Swiss nationality or have lived in Switzerland for at least three years.

To apply for a residency grant with a first publishing contract, please use our application form for residencies and submit all the necessary documentation.

Are you interested in emerging translator activities for your students? Would you like to take part in a workshop, apply for a mentorship or sit in on professional translation workshops?

We’re happy to advise you!

For information on the emerging translators programme, please contact Florence Widmer: florence.widmer@looren.net.

Translation House Looren’s emerging translators programme is supported by the Swiss arts council Pro Helvetia, the Max Geilinger Foundation and the Oertli Foundation, and is a cooperation with the universities of Geneva and Zurich and the Centre de traduction littéraire in Lausanne, which offers training in literary translation (Programme de spécialisation de traduction littéraire).

You’ll also find useful information in our link list and on the A*dS and VdÜ websites.