Absinthe: World Literature in Translation invites submissions of original English-language translations of Brazilian literature for its 30th issue, to be published in December 2024.

Absinthe publishes fiction, poetry, and creative nonfiction. Owned and operated by the Department of Comparative Literature at the University of Michigan, Absinthe is edited by graduate students. This issue will be edited by Júlia Irion Martins and Sam McCracken.

We seek translations of previously untranslated fiction (short stories and novel excerpts welcome), poetry, crônicas, plays, song lyrics, and creative nonfiction. Prose translations should be between 1500-7000 words and poetry can be one single poem or a handful of poems by the same author. We welcome translations of 20th- and 21st-century works, with a slight preference for writing from the 1990s onward. We are especially interested in works that highlight the distinct regional cultures of Brazil and expand notions of brasilidade.

Your proposals should include:

• 250 word abstract discussing the content of the work as well as its significance to the greater canon (we use “canon” with great flexibility) of Brazilian literature
• 150 word translator bio
• 150 word author bio

If you have a translation in progress, you may also submit a portion along with your proposal.
Please submit proposals to irionm [at] umich.edu by March 1 for consideration. If accepted, translators will receive a modest honorarium of $100 upon completion.