Recommended Good Practice

The Code of Good Practice

The Conseil Européen des Associations de Traducteurs Littéraires – CEATL (European Council of Literary Translators’ Associations) provides a very useful ‘Code of Good Practice’ on their website

‘The Six Commandments of fair-play in literary translation’  includes:

Licensing of rights
Fees
Payment terms
Obligations to publish
Share in profit
Translator’s name

The Translator’s Charter

The Translator’s Charter was drawn up by the International Federation of Translators (FIT) and approved by the Congress at Dubrovnik in 1963 and then amended in Oslo in 1994.

The Translator’s Charter states `that translation has established itself as a permanent, universal and necessary activity in the world of today; that by making intellectual and material exchanges possible among nations it enriches their life and contributes to a better understanding amongst men and women; that in spite of the various circumstances under which it is practised translation must now be recognised as a distinct and autonomous profession, and desiring to lay down, as a formal document, certain general principles inseparably connected with the profession of translating, particularly for the purpose of:

stressing the social function of translation,
laying down the rights and duties of translators, 
laying the basis of a translator's code of ethics,

improving the economic conditions and social climate in which the translator carries out his/her activity, and recommending certain lines of conduct for translators and their professional organisations, and to contribute in this way to the recognition of translation as a distinct and autonomous profession.

PETRA-E  Recommendations 

PETRA-E - the European Platform for Literary Translation, brings together organisations active in the field of literary translation in Europe, on both a national and a transnational level including translators' and authors' organisations, literary organisations and networks, policy-making bodies and organisations dealing with education, publishing and copyright.

PETRA-E’s main objective is to promote and support literary translation and literary translators in Europe. In particular, they aim to instigate and set beneficial changes in the field in motion.