Nominate a Translation

Call for Submissions

Best Literary Translations accepts nominations of outstanding translations published in U.S.-affiliated literary journals during the preceding calendar year. Translators, authors, and journal editors may all submit nominations.

Submissions open annually in the fall. For the current call and submission portal, visit Deep Vellum’s website.

Full Submission Guidelines ↗

Questions? Write to us at besttranslations@deepvellum.org

What We Accept

✓ Poetry, short fiction, literary nonfiction, and hybrid-genre work
✓ Translations into English from any language
✓ Works published in U.S.-affiliated literary journals
✓ Both contemporary and historical source texts
✓ Self-translations are eligible

Selection Process

1. Nominations received from journals & translators
2. Series co-editors develop a longlist from all submissions
3. A longlist of ~80 works goes to the guest editor
4. Guest editor makes the final selections
5. Nominators notified; anthology published annually

Coming in 2027 & Beyond

The 2027 edition will be guest-edited by classicist and translator Emily Wilson, renowned for her landmark translation of Homer’s Odyssey. Submissions for BLT 2028 open in fall 2026.