U.K. National Centre for Writing Selects New Translators for Emerging Translator Mentorships Program

Now in its 17th year, the program aims to highlight "outstanding new voices in literary translation into English," specifically focusing on literatures that are underrepresented in translation. An emerging translator is defined as someone who has published no more than one full-length literary translation.

The 2026/27 Emerging Translators are:

- **Sheila Nyholm D’Souza** (Danish, mentored by Paul Russell Garrett): Based in Vancouver, D’Souza is a Danish-to-English translator with an interest in contemporary Danish literature, social realism, and historical fiction, particularly from women and marginalized perspectives. She received the American-Scandinavian Foundation’s Leif and Inger Sjöberg Prize in 2025.

- **Hanna Wheeler** (Dutch, mentored by Jonathan Reeder): A Belgian Canadian residing in Toronto, Wheeler is a copywriter and Dutch-to-English translator. She has translated several romance novels and recently contributed to the nonfiction book *The Six: The Untold Story of the Antwerp Six*.

- **Lil Boyce** (Italian, mentored by Elena Pala): Working from Italian to English, Boyce divides her time between Sassari, Italy, and Coventry, U.K. She completed her Masters in Translation at the Open University in 2026, and her first publication is forthcoming in the *Massachusetts Review*.

- **Tiffany Chang** (Korean, mentored by Clare Richards): A Korean-English translator from Los Angeles, Chang focuses on feminist and diaspora literature. She serves as a submissions reader for ANMLY, an international literary journal.

- **Cheryl Schmitz** (Literature from Taiwan, mentored by Jeremy Tiang): An anthropologist by training, Schmitz translates from Chinese and Portuguese into English, emphasizing works by women and queer authors. She is currently located in Taipei.

- **Aparna Thomas** (Languages of India, mentored by Mohini Gupta): Specialized in Malayalam to English translation, Thomas is known for her work on the poetry of Anvar Ali and is based in Ernakulam, Kerala.

- **Jordan Barger** (Norwegian, mentored by Rosie Hedger): A translator based in Philadelphia, Barger is particularly interested in Nynorsk poetry. His translations have been featured in various literary magazines, with a forthcoming book due in 2028.

- **Azja Kulpińska** (Polish, mentored by Sean Gasper Bye): Currently living in Melbourne, Kulpińska translates between Polish and English and is actively involved in community work and literary projects.

- **Gemma Craig-Sharples** (Swiss German, mentored by Jamie Lee Searle): A translator from London now living in Berlin, Craig-Sharples has worked with German translation organizations and is focusing on a PhD proposal about the intricacies of translation.

Rebecca DeWald, the program manager, noted that this year’s cohort is the most diverse in the program’s history, with mentees from various parts of the world and the introduction of a new focus on Taiwan literature. Since its inception, the Emerging Translator Mentorships Program has assisted over 150 translators from 37 different languages.

Founded in 2010 by translator Daniel Hahn, the program provides mentees with a £800 stipend, membership in The Society of Authors/Translators Association, and opportunities to participate in training and industry events.

Noteworthy alumni include Nichola Smalley, who was longlisted for the International Booker Prize, and Sophie Hughes, who achieved shortlist status for the same award in 2019 and 2020. Andrew Albanese is the editor-in-chief of *Publishing Perspectives*.