Graywolf Press is a literary press that publishes about thirty books annually, mostly collections of poetry, memoir, essays, novels, and short stories. Our editors are looking for high quality literary fiction, nonfiction, and poetry that combine a distinct voice with a distinct vision.
Graywolf Press is excited to offer an open submission period for contemporary poetry in translation. We are open to translations of poetry by living poets from any language, but we are especially eager to receive work from languages and countries of origin that are traditionally underrepresented in the literary landscape. We also encourage submissions from emerging BIPOC translators.
Interested translators should include the following in their submission:
- A one-page cover letter that describes the vision for the translation, the cultural and historical context of the original work, and how this work would contribute to Graywolf’s poetry list.
- Brief biographies of the poet and the translator(s), including previously published works. Note that we are looking for contemporary poetry by living poets and translators.
- A sample translation of 10-15 pages with the corresponding 10-15 pages of the poems in original language. If you have a complete manuscript, please indicate so in your cover letter. Do not send a complete manuscript unless specifically requested.
- Details about the original publication(s) (including each publisher’s name and contact information and the year and country of each publication), along with evidence that authorization has been granted by the rights holder to the translator(s) for translation of the work into English and publication of the original text.
Please note the following:
- Graywolf will hold this open submission period from November 11, 2024, at 12:00 a.m. Central Time to November 15, 2024, at 11:59 p.m. Central Time via Submittable.
- Only the first 500 submissions will be considered, after which the submission period will close.
- We will only consider one project from each translator or translator team.
- Submissions outside this period will not be accepted, and submissions that are not translations of living poets will not be considered.
- Please do not contact Graywolf’s staff directly. Graywolf’s editorial team will contact translators with further interest and information.
- This is not a prize; Graywolf is not required to publish any submitted work.
- We hope to find innovative book-length works of poetry in translation, for which we will make an offer for publication, including an advance against standard royalties for the author and the translator. We expect that initial publication will be in 2026 or later.