Albertine Translation Fund and Prize

Albertine Translation Fund & Prize

In 2006, the Cultural Services of the French Embassy, in partnership with the PEN American Center, launched the French Voices program. The objective was to create what would become, over an initial period of three years, a collection of 30 books representing the best of contemporary French and Francophone literature. Sixteen years later, the collection has largely surpassed its objective and is now more than 170 titles strong. It includes a wide range of works representing some of the best of French-language fiction and non-fiction alike. Thanks to support from the Florence Gould Foundation and the Mellon Foundation, the program became, in 2013, the French Voices Awards.

In 2022, Villa Albertine’s Books & Ideas department launched the Albertine Translation Fund & Prize, a new and enhanced version of the French Voices Awards.

The Albertine Translation Fund & Prize recognizes the quality of both the original work and the translation. A committee of independent professional experts (academics, translators, and publishers) selects works that epitomize the many facets of a vibrant French literary scene. Grants go to books representing new trends in fiction and graphic novels and important points of view in nonfiction.

The Albertine Translation Fund recognizes and supports translators and American publishers producing English translations of works first published in France, prioritizing titles released within the last ten years. Recipients are selected by a committee of experts in French and Francophone literature. Each awarded book receives $2,000 toward publishing expenses, plus up to 50% of translation costs, capped at $5,000.

Each year, the Albertine Translation Committee also chooses, among the recipients, one book to be awarded the Albertine Translation Prize. The winning book receives $5,000, to be allocated to the translator. 

Works that have not yet found an American publisher are eligible for the Albertine Translation Fund. The French publisher will have a year to secure an acquisition of rights contract with an American publisher for the English translation.

The works published in the US that benefited from the Albertine Translation Fund & Prize must carry a logo of the program on their cover and mention of the program on the copyright page.

The next call for applications will be open from December 15, 2025 through February 1, 2026. Please note that only books to be published starting October 2026 will be eligible. Results will be announced by early June 2026. 

For more information about the program, please click here.