The Singapore Apprenticeship in Literary Translation (SALT) is a capability development programme jointly organised by Tender Leaves Translation and the Singapore Book Council, aimed at training literary translators for the publishing industry. Participants will undergo a rigorous, industry-oriented 6-month training, in which they will: 

• learn the skills and craft of translating a work of short fiction or poetry (10,000-20,000 words of prose or 10-20 pages of poetry). You can translate from any language but the work will be translated to English; 

• put together a translation sample and synopsis package for pitching to publishers and agents; 
• gain experience in the best practices of the profession, including understanding the business, legal, and ethical issues involved in their work. 

Each apprentice will produce a translation sample and synopsis package, in cooperation with her/his mentor. Those working on short fiction will complete a translation of the entire piece and learn strategies for submitting it to journals. The mentor will oversee the translation process and offer guidance. 

Apprentice will receive a certificate upon completion of the 6-month training by both Singapore Book Council and Tender Leaves Translation.

SALT is open to both Singaporeans and non-Singaporeans. Emerging translators, writers / poets who are transitioning into translation, or established translators who are transitioning into literary translation are all welcome to apply.  

Selection of the participants will be based on criteria that includes track record, writing and / or translation samples, potential of the applicant, and interview (where necessary). The participant can choose to translate from any chosen language but they will be translating to English. 

The apprenticeship for June's application will close on 30 April 2022 and November's application will close on 30 May 2022.* Only selected apprentices will be notified by end May 2022 for June's run and by October for November's run of the course. Chosen individuals will be provided with the list of excerpts to select for the translation exercise.  

The entire course fee is S$4,500 for the 6-month programme. Successful applicants must pay 50% of the course fee (S$2,250) upon notification with the final 50% of the course fee to be paid before the start of the first or second run to confirm acceptance of the placement offered. 

*If you plan to apply for the Translation Talent Development Scheme, please note that the deadline for application is 30 June 2022. Only Singaporeans are eligible for grant support. For those dependent on outcome of TTDS to continue with apprenticeship, please apply for the November's run of SALT.

Singaporeans may apply to funding bodies that support professional training and skills development in literary arts and translation upon confirmation of successful application for SALT. 

You can find out more about the requirements and funding cycle of the organisation below: 

• Ministry of Communications and Information’s Translation Talent Development Scheme (TTDS) 

This co-sponsorship grant is open to Singaporean translation and interpretation practitioners from the private sector who wish to further develop their skills.   

TTDS will subsidise up to 95% of expenses incurred in the participation of capability development programme(s), subject to a cap of S$10,000 per recipient in 2022.  

More details at https://www.mci.gov.sg/careers-grants/ttds. 

Call for grant application ends 30 June 2022. Application for grant support can be made prior to confirmation of successful application. Outcome will only be informed on October 2022.

SALT is a collaboration between Tender Leaves Translation and the Singapore Book Council. Established translator and writer, Shelly Bryant is the mentor overseeing the apprenticeship. 

QUESTIONS?  

Email [email protected] or [email protected]. 

SALT will run for six (6) months for the short fiction and poetry programmes, with two (2) starting dates. The first run begins on 1 June 2022 to 30 November 2022 and the second run on 1 November 2022 to April 2022. Only one apprentice will be accepted for each run.

Participants depending on the TTDS grant, please apply for the first run as the eligibility period is only for programmes up till March 2023.

The mentor, Shelly Bryant will set the various milestones and deadlines for the apprentices to produce the synopsis and translation samples. There will be two hour-long meetings that the apprentice is required to attend conducted by Shelly as well: Orientation and the Review and Debrief Session. 

Additional meetings can be scheduled as needed. For the duration of the apprenticeship, the apprentice will also be given access to an online course entitled Overview of Literary Translation at the Tender Leaves Translation Courses website.

 

SALT Schedule 2022 

First Run	Second Run	SALT Schedule for Short Fiction
June 2022	November 2022	Orientation Apprentices to confirm the work of short fiction they will be translating (1 month)
July 2022	December 2023	Translation – Apprentices to work on the selected short fiction (3 months)
August 2022	January 2023
September 2022	February 2023
October 2022	March 2023	Editing of short fiction  Apprentices will be taught strategies to approach journals for publication Review (2 months)
November 2022	April 2023

 

 

Programme Details 

I. ORIENTATION  

The session will give an overview of SALT, including the goals, expectations, as well as how the apprentice will work with the mentor. It will cover the creative processes, the business aspects of translating for publication, as well as understanding and adapting to the market forces. The one-on-one session could be virtual or in-person. 

II. TRANSLATION 

Participant will be work on a selected 10,000 to 20,000 work of fiction or poetry with the guidance of the mentor. There will be 10 hours of online course work (self-paced) on translation theory, editing and business aspect of translation.

III. EDITING 

Editing will include working with the mentor to further refine the translated work. This exercise will help the apprentices move from a focus on the original text to a focus on the target market, which will better prepare them for the final stage of the apprenticeship. 

IV. REVIEW 

The review will include a debrief session with the mentor for discussing the feedback the apprentices have received and how best to implement it as they move on to begin their careers in literary translation. 

All texts in the programme can be chosen from the Suggested List, which will be shared with successful applicants, though we are open to listening to suggestions from the apprentices. Our Suggested List will include works recommended by our various sponsors and partners. It will not be limited geographically.