American Literary Translators Association
American professional association dedicated to literary translation, translators, and translated literature.
Last updated August 25, 2026
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Overview
The American Literary Translators Association (ALTA) is a United States-based professional and cultural organization devoted to literary translation. It supports translators, editors, publishers, scholars, students, and readers involved in bringing literature across linguistic and cultural boundaries, with particular emphasis on translation into English and on the development of literary translation as an art and profession. ALTA was co-founded by Rainer Schulte and A. Leslie Willson in 1978 at the University of Texas at Dallas. From its beginning, the organization combined professional development, intellectual exchange, literary community-building, and public advocacy. Its annual conference has been held every year since 1978 in locations across North America, making it one of the association's central institutional activities. The conference is designed as a broad gathering rather than a narrowly academic meeting. It typically includes panels on translation practice and theory, roundtables on professional and publishing issues, workshops focused on particular texts, bilingual readings, keynote presentations, publisher and book exhibits, and events that connect established translators with students and emerging practitioners. The association also administers awards that recognize achievement in book-length translation. Its National Translation Award in Poetry and Prose honors English translations of fiction, poetry, drama, and creative nonfiction. Other programs have focused on Asian poetry and Zen texts, contemporary Italian prose, literature from Spain, and first book-length translations by emerging translators. These prizes help give visibility to translated literature and acknowledge the creative, interpretive, and collaborative labor of translators and editors. Professional development is another major part of ALTA's work. Travel fellowships assist early-career translators with attending the annual conference, while mentorship and fellowship activities provide opportunities for public readings, networking, and contact with publishers and established practitioners. The Peter K. Jansen Memorial Travel Fellowship gives preference to an emerging translator of color or to a translator working from an underrepresented diaspora or stateless language. Through these programs, ALTA has sought to broaden participation in the field and support translators who may not yet have published a book-length translation. ALTA's publishing and information activities include Translation Review, a twice-yearly journal founded in 1978. The publication covers translation theory, criticism, pedagogy, professional practice, translator interviews, publishing, and reviews that examine translation choices and methods. The organization has also produced practical guides addressing such subjects as beginning a translation career, finding publication opportunities, preparing a book-length translation proposal, promoting translated work, and using the internet professionally. Its newsletter provides updates about conferences, prizes, grants, calls for papers, and community news. Administratively, ALTA was housed at the University of Texas at Dallas from 1978 through 2014. It then operated as an independent nonprofit arts organization from 2014 to 2018. In 2018, it affiliated with the College of Humanities at the University of Arizona, and its operations relocated to the University of Arizona in January 2019. ALTA's continuing activities include its annual conference, awards, publications, fellowships, mentorship initiatives, and year-round programming designed to strengthen the visibility and practice of literary translation.
History
ALTA was established in 1978 at the University of Texas at Dallas by Rainer Schulte and A. Leslie Willson. Its creation reflected the growing need for an organization that could bring together literary translators, scholars, publishers, teachers, and readers while treating translation as both a creative art and a professional practice. Translation Review was founded in the same year and became the association's principal journal for discussion of translation theory, criticism, pedagogy, publishing, and craft. The ALTA Annual Conference has met every year since 1978. Over time, the conference developed into a four-day multidisciplinary gathering featuring panels, roundtables, workshops, bilingual readings, keynotes, public performances, publisher exhibits, and presentations by fellowship recipients. The event has served both as a professional forum and as a community institution for a field whose practitioners often work across national, linguistic, and institutional boundaries. ALTA remained administratively connected to the University of Texas at Dallas until 2014. Between 2014 and 2018 it operated independently as a nonprofit arts organization. In 2018, it affiliated with the College of Humanities at the University of Arizona; the organization moved its administrative base to the university in January 2019. Its awards and fellowships have expanded the association's role beyond conference programming. The National Translation Award in Poetry and Prose recognizes significant book-length translations into English. Additional awards have supported work from Asian languages, Italian, Spain, and other literary traditions, while the ALTA First Translation Prize focuses on debut translators and their editors. Travel fellowships and related programs provide practical assistance and professional visibility to emerging translators, including translators from historically underrepresented communities. ALTA has also supported the field through practical information resources. Its guides address entry into literary translation, publication strategy, book proposals, promotion, and online professional practice. The association's newsletter and year-round events extend its work beyond the annual conference. Together, these activities position ALTA as a professional association, arts organization, educational resource, and network for literary translation in the United States and internationally.
- 2024
ALTA First Translation Prize inaugurated
[1]ALTA launches a prize recognizing a debut literary translation and the editor who helped bring it to publication.
- 2022
Spain-USA Foundation Translation Award inaugurated
[1]ALTA and the Spain-USA Foundation establish an award for English translations of literary prose by Spanish authors.
- 2019
Administrative relocation to Arizona
[1]ALTA relocates to the University of Arizona in January.
- 2018
ALTA affiliates with the University of Arizona
[1]The association affiliates with the University of Arizona's College of Humanities.
- 2015
Italian Prose in Translation Award inaugurated
[1]ALTA introduces an annual award for English translations of Italian fiction and literary nonfiction.
- 2014
ALTA becomes an independent nonprofit arts organization
[1]After decades of administrative housing at the University of Texas at Dallas, ALTA begins operating independently.
- 2009
Lucien Stryk Asian Translation Prize announced
[1]ALTA announces a prize for book-length translations of Asian poetry and Zen-related source texts; the first award is presented in 2010.
- 1978
ALTA is founded
[1]Rainer Schulte and A. Leslie Willson co-found the American Literary Translators Association at the University of Texas at Dallas.
- 1978
Translation Review begins publication
[1]ALTA launches its scholarly and professional journal, which continues as a twice-yearly publication focused on literary translation.
Products and positioning
Professional association, artistic community, and advocacy platform for literary translators and translated literature.
Conference and professional development · 1978
ALTA Annual Conference
A recurring gathering for literary translators, students, scholars, publishers, and readers. Programming commonly includes panels, roundtables, practical workshops, bilingual readings, keynote talks, translation performances, publisher exhibits, award announcements, and readings by ALTA Fellows.
Journal · 1978
Translation Review
A twice-yearly publication covering the theory, criticism, teaching, and practice of literary translation. It also publishes translator interviews, publishing profiles, trend reports, and reviews that focus on the choices and problems involved in translating literature.
Literary award
National Translation Award
An annual award presented in poetry and prose for book-length translations into English. Eligible works may include fiction, poetry, drama, and creative nonfiction published during the preceding calendar year.
Fellowship
ALTA Travel Fellowships
Competitive awards intended to help early-career translators attend the annual conference. Fellows commonly receive travel support and participate in public readings, with a memorial fellowship giving preference to a translator of color or someone working from an underrepresented diaspora or stateless language.
Literary award · 2024
ALTA First Translation Prize
An annual prize for a debut literary translation from any language into English. The program recognizes both the translator and editor involved in the first book-length publication.
Professional guidance
ALTA Guides to Literary Translation
A set of practical resources addressing entry into literary translation, finding publication opportunities, preparing a book-length translation proposal, promoting translated work, and using internet tools for professional visibility.
Brand decisions
2020
Move the annual conference onlineStrategyBackground
The annual conference schedule was affected by the COVID-19 period.
Action taken
ALTA organized the 2020 conference as a virtual event held over several weeks under the theme “In Between.”
Aftermath
The organization continued with virtual and hybrid approaches in subsequent conference programming, including the year-round virtual format used in 2022.
2018
Affiliation with the University of ArizonaStrategyBackground
ALTA had operated independently as a nonprofit arts organization since 2014 after a long period of administrative housing at the University of Texas at Dallas.
Action taken
The association affiliated with the University of Arizona's College of Humanities and subsequently moved its operations to the university.
Aftermath
The administrative relocation took place in January 2019 and provided ALTA with a new institutional home.
Recent events
- 2023
ALTA holds its annual conference in Tucson under the theme “The Place of Translation”[1]
Other
The 2023 conference took place in Tucson, Arizona, from November 8 to 11 and featured a keynote by Sawako Nakayasu.
- 2022
ALTA presents a year-round virtual conference organized around “Value(s)”[1]
Other
ALTA's 2022 conference programming was conducted virtually across the year and centered on the theme “Value(s).”
- 2022
ALTA inaugurates the Spain-USA Foundation Translation Award[1]
Product launch
ALTA introduced the Spain-USA Foundation Translation Award in partnership with the Spain-USA Foundation to recognize English translations of literary prose by authors of Spanish nationality.
- 2020
ALTA conducts virtual programming during the COVID-19 period[1]
Other
The 2020 conference was held virtually from September 29 through October 18 under the theme “In Between.”
- 2019
ALTA relocates its administrative operations to the University of Arizona[1]
Other
Following its 2018 affiliation with the University of Arizona's College of Humanities, ALTA relocated to the university in January 2019.
- 2015
ALTA launches the Italian Prose in Translation Award[1]
Product launch
The organization inaugurated an annual prize for English translations of contemporary Italian fiction and literary nonfiction.
Sources2 sources
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