Works of Translation

Translations play a valuable role in the academy and beyond. Good translations can introduce scholars to new research, make works of literature and non-fiction available to new readerships, and effect significant change in academic disciplines. As a scholarly publisher, we are always looking for fresh ways to disseminate knowledge and add value to scholarship. It is also true that MQUP’s principal mandate is to publish new work and that translations are significantly more costly and labour-intensive to produce than original works. We must therefore be highly selective when deciding whether to pursue publication of translated works.

We encourage the submission of carefully considered proposals for potential translations. In general, we welcome proposals for translations of books written by Canadian authors, where the original work is of extraordinary quality and scholarly value, and it is important that it be made available in English. Canadian-authored books are eligible for grants that offset the cost of translation; we also welcome proposals to translate books by international authors in cases where the project will be eligible for financial support of translation costs. If the book proposed for translation has been in print for a year or more, we ask that the proposal include a representative selection of the book reviews from scholarly or general interest publications. If the proposed work is recently published, or is not yet in print, please enclose the reviewers’ reports secured by the originating publisher, if available.

Translations of literary or documentary material undertaken as part of a critical edition are understood to be original works of scholarship and can be considered for publication if they make a substantial contribution to their field. To propose a critical edition, please consult our proposal guidelines.

Every publishing project is unique and there are occasional exceptions to the above principles. If you have an exceptional translation project that you wish to bring to MQUP, please contact our editorial department.