Call for Applications

As part of the Jean Antonin Billard Mentorship in Literary Translation, the Literary Translators’ Association of Canada (LTAC) and the Quebec Writers’ Federation (QWF) are delighted to invite:

  • Emerging Canadian translators of English literary works into French to apply to be mentored by an established literary translator for four months (February 1 to May 31, 2025).
  • Established Canadian literary translators of English literary works into French to apply to mentor an emerging literary translator for four months (February 1 to May 31, 2025). 

One emerging and one established literary translator will be selected for the mentorship. The mentee and mentor will also participate in a public reading in Montreal in June 2025, along with the other members of the 2025 QWF Mentorship Program. 

The selection of candidates will be conducted by an independent jury.

The selected candidates will be notified no later than December 23, 2024. When appropriate, depending on the location of the mentor and mentee, the mentorship may take place entirely or in part by email and over Zoom.

The deadline to apply is November 11, 2025.

Emerging Canadian Translators of English Literary Works into French

Eligibility Criteria

  • Translators who have already benefited from a QWF mentorship are not eligible to apply
  • Candidates do not need to be an LTAC member at the time of application but will have to become one if selected for the mentorship.

During the four-month mentorship period (February 1 to May 31, 2025), the mentee will be expected to commit a minimum of 15 to 20 hours per month to the program.

How to Apply

  • Prepare your application. Please prepare the following documents in a single PDF or Word document. DO NOT include your name or any other identifying material in this document:
  • A one-page pitch indicating:
  • The literary genre of the translation project you’d like to work on
  • Where you are currently in your development as a translator 
  • How your translation practice will benefit from a mentor’s guidance at this time
  • A four- to ten-page translation sample, double-spaced, from the project you wish to work on. No more than ten pages will be forwarded to the jury. Do not put your name on this document.
  • Log into Submittable. If necessary, create a free Submittable account.  
  • Fill out the online form and upload your application. To complete your application, you must pay the $30 submission fee by credit card or PayPal via Submittable.

If you cannot submit your application online, send it by mail to the address below. Please include your contact information on a separate sheet and a $40 cheque made out to “Quebec Writers’ Federation.”

Jean Antonin Billard Mentorship Program
Quebec Writers’ Federation
1200 Atwater Ave., Suite 3
Westmount, QC  H3Z 1X4

All submissions MUST BE IN THE QWF OFFICE by 5:00 pm on Monday, November 11, 2024.

Emerging Translators: Apply now for a mentor

Mentors

Eligibility Criteria:

  • Be an established professional Canadian translator of English literary works into French
  • Have published at least one book with a recognized professional publisher or have reached an equivalent professional level of achievement
  • Be an LTAC member in good standing throughout the mentorship 

Teaching or mentoring experience is a significant asset.

Over the four-month period, the mentor will be expected to devote 35 to 40 hours to reading and responding to their mentee’s work and to giving guidance towards the goal of publication or production. The mentor will receive a $2000 honorarium as remuneration.

How to Apply:

  • Prepare your application. Please prepare the following documents in a single PDF or Word document:
  • A one-page biography indicating:
  • Your previous publications/productions
  • Your translation experience
  • The genres/disciplines within translation for which you are qualified to mentor an emerging literary translator
  • A brief description of your approach to mentoring
  • A declaration of your availability during the period from November 18, 2024, to June 30, 2025.

    If selected for the program, you will receive the applications of the shortlisted candidates and be asked to rank your choices by December 16.

    The mentorship will take place from February 1 to May 31, 2025, with a public reading scheduled in Montreal in June 2025.

    The selected mentor will be notified in November 2024 and will have to confirm the choice of mentee from a shortlist of candidates no later than December 16, 2024. 
  • Log into Submittable. If necessary, create a free Submittable account. 
  • Fill out the online form and upload your application document. There is no fee to apply to be a mentor.

If you cannot submit your application online, you may send it by mail to the following address:

Jean Antonin Billard Mentorship Program
Quebec Writers’ Federation
1200, Atwater Ave., Suite 3
Westmount, QC  H3Z 1X4

All submissions MUST BE IN THE QWF OFFICE by 5:00 pm on Monday, November 11, 2024.

Apply now to be a mentor

About Jean Antonin Billard:

Born in 1930 in Tours, France, Jean Antonin Billard began reaching out to voices across borders at an early age. English and Spanish served as his passport; North and South, East and West attracted him. After numerous trips to England and Spain, he settled at the crossroads of the New World: in Quebec, in 1953. Through the films he taught as well as through the books he read, it was always poetry that best translated his desire for an open and expansive life, in a world which increasingly cancels this very desire.

For more information:

LTAC: 514-848-2424 (8702) | info@attlc-ltac.org
QWF: 514-244-9088 | info@qwf.org