Magyar Könyv Alapítvány (Hungarian Book Foundation)

The Hungarian Book Foundation works as an information centre for Hungarian literature, and provides grants for the translation of Hungarian books. It gives financial aid to the foreign publisher for the translation's costs (about 50%). The deadlines for submitting applications are 21 March and 31 October.
Contact Dóra Károlyi at dora.karolyi@axelero.hu

The Foundation provides a list of recently published Hungarian books recommended for translation.
They also have an excellent database of almost all translations of Hungarian literature since 1945.

Magyar Fordítóház Alapítvány (Hungarian Translation Workshop Foundation)
This is a workshop for foreign translators working on the translation of Hungarian literary works. Translators can apply for 2-, 4-, 6- and 8-week grants (currently 120 thousand HUF) calculated to cover expenses of the stay, purchase of books, etc. The idea of the House is derived from the example of German and French translators' houses.

The Foundation's House is at Balatonfüred (125 km south of Budapest, on the northern shore of Lake Balaton), in a beautiful and peaceful environment ideal for work. It is equipped with a library and there is a computer in each room. Six translators can stay in the House at a time.

A good homepage offers a description of the House in several languages, a newsletter in English and Hungarian, and a catalogue of the library.
Contact Péter Rácz at mfordhaz@axelero.hu

József Attila Kör Nyári Fordítótábora (Translators' Summer Camp of the Attila József Circle)
For twenty years, the József Attila Kör (JAK), an organization of young poets, writers, critics and literary scholars, has held a translators' camp each summer. The aim of the camp is to familiarize foreign translators of Hungarian literature with the contemporary Hungarian literary scene. It is a workshop where both theoretical and practical aspects of translation and interpretation can be discussed, and where translators can meet writers, scholars and critics, as well as other translators. Many foreign translations of Hungarian literature owe their existence to this camp.

József Attila Kör (JAK) website
E-mail: info@kontextus.hu

Open Society Institute Information Program - Translation and Publishing Projects
These are several projects, all run by the national Soros/Open Society Foundations in the countries of Central and Eastern Europe:
CEU Translation Project, East Translates East

Füst Milán Fordítói Alapítvány (The Milán Füst Foundation for Translators)
This is a foundation for the translation of Hungarian literature, established by the Hungarian Academy of Sciences with the cooperation of writer Milán Füst's widow. Grants are awarded through public application. The board of trustees also award the Milán Füst Grand Prix to translators.

Bálint Balassi Institute
The Bálint Balassi Institute (an institute for the preservation, research and promotion of Hungarian language and culture), founded by the Hungarian Ministry of Education, has a ten-month scholarship for foreign students whose mother tongue is not Hungarian and for young graduates (under 29) who would like to study (or have already studied) Hungarian language and culture.

European Commission DG Education and Culture (DGEAC)
The EU has a variety of cultural grants, among them grants for translation. These grants are given to publishing houses. It is possible to apply for the cost of the translation, but the whole budget for the book must be presented in the application.

In Hungary, the technical coordinator of these grants is KultúrPont Iroda, an agency called into being by the Hungarian Ministry of National Cultural Heritage (NKÖM).

Fund for Central and Eastern European Book Projects (CEEBP)
This fund (sponsored mainly by Dutch organizations) gives grants to publishers in Central and Eastern Europe for the translation of literary and scholarly works into and between the languages of Central and Eastern Europe. They also develop projects aimed at enhancing quality publishing in the region.

Magyar Műfordítók Egyesülete (MEGY, Association of Hungarian Translators)
This association was established in 2003 with the aim to protect the rights of Hungarian literary translators. The Association regulary organizes talks with translators.

Translation Fund of PEN American Centre
This fund was established in 2003 by an anonymous donor who gave a rather generous sum of 730 thousand dollars for the promotion of world literature in English.