Goldschmidt Programme: 25 years of commitment to young literary translators

The Franco-German exchange programme has created a far-reaching network since 2000 - with a lasting influence on the literary scene. 

The 25th anniversary of the Georges Arthur Goldschmidt Programme for young literary translators is being celebrated this year with ceremonies in Paris, Berlin and at Frankfurter Buchmesse. Founded in 2000, the Franco-German exchange project has trained almost 250 translators from France, Germany, Switzerland and Austria. Many of them are working successfully as literary translators today. Graduates include, for example, the translators of Daniel Kehlmann (Juliette Aubert-Affholder), Clemens J. Setz (Stephanie Lux), Ivar Leon Menger (Justine Coquel ), Annie Ernaux (Sonja Finck), Sascha Marianna Salzmann (Jeffrey Tréhudic) and Emmanuel Carrère (Claudia Hamm). 

The programme was initiated by the Franco-German Youth Office (Deutsch-Französisches Jugendwerk, DFJW), Frankfurter Buchmesse and France Livre (formerly BIEF). The Swiss Arts Council Pro Helvetia (since 2012) and the Austrian Federal Ministry for European and International Affairs (since 2025) are also involved in the programme. 

The Goldschmidt Programme: ten scholarships for translators every year 

Translating means building bridges - between languages, cultures and people. The Goldschmidt programme has been based on this conviction since it was founded. Every year, ten young literary translators (five German-speaking and five French-speaking) are given the opportunity to get to know publishers in their respective countries and establish contacts with each other, publishers and editors. At the same time, they work on their own translation projects under the guidance of experienced translators - in tandem and as a group. 

The ‘classic’ Goldschmidt programme now takes place every two years, alternating with the ‘Goldschmidt+’ programme. The latter enables former participants to further deepen their expertise and network. 

The patron: Georges-Arthur Goldschmidt 

The translator, author and literary critic Georges-Arthur Goldschmidt (born in Reinbek near Hamburg in 1928), who found a new home in France after fleeing the Nazi regime, has been the patron of the scholarship programme since 2007. In France, he is a central figure in the translation of German literature - including works by Goethe, Kafka and Handke. He is a member of the German Academy for Language and Poetry. In 2023, he received the Franco-German Media Prize. 

In an interview with France Livre in spring 2025, Georges-Arthur Goldschmidt emphasised that every language has its own essence - indeed, its own body - which must be physically felt when translating. Marking the anniversary, he also addressed a few words to the participants of the Goldschmidt programme about the future of their profession: precisely because translation requires this physical experience, Goldschmidt said, artificial intelligence cannot replace literary translators. ‘A recipe,’ he said, ‘says nothing about the meat you want to prepare.’ A video of the interview can be seen here https://youtu.be/cEsg85Yx71k(opens in a new window). 

The anniversary year at a glance 

In 2025, a series of events will be held to highlight the value of literary translation as a cultural bridge and the important role of the programme in Franco-German relations. 

• Spring 2025  
  The scholarship trip for participants in the Goldschmidt 2025 programme took place from 5 February to 29 March, with stops in Arles, Berlin and Frankfurt, among others
• 12 June 2025 
  In Paris, France Livre hosted a themed evening at the Goethe-Institut on 12 June.
• 12 September 2025 
  Frankfurter Buchmesse in cooperation with the LCB and the Bureau du Livre of the French Embassy in Berlin invite you to an interactive experience evening on 12 September from 6 p.m. at the Literary Colloquium Berlin (invitation and details to follow)
• October 2025 
  Frankfurter Buchmesse invites you to events, for example at the Centre of Words and at the “Leseinsel”-Stage (details to follow)
• Autumn 2025 
  Application phase for the 2026 edition of ‘Goldschmidt+’ 

Further links 

More about the Goldschmidt Programme: 
https://www.buchmesse.de/en/fellowship-and-grant-programmes/goldschmidt(opens in a new window)  

The participants in 2025:  
https://www.buchmesse.de/en/fellowship-and-grant-programmes/goldschmidt#52116(opens in a new window)  

More about Goldschmidt+:  
https://www.buchmesse.de/en/fellowship-and-grant-programmes/goldschmidt-programme(opens in a new window)  

The programme of the theme evening in Paris on 12 June 2025: 
 https://www.francelivre.fr/rencontre_professionnelle/Le-programme-Goldschmidt-fete-ses-25-ans-6-GCOCRpGSMYvlvsxWlNW_yOz-z2bBBxsnkpVeUKlN4(opens in a new window)  

Videos 

Interview with Georges-Arthur Goldschmidt:  https://youtu.be/cEsg85Yx71k(opens in a new window) 

25 years of the Goldschmidt programme:  
https://www.instagram.com/reel/DKzu_ANsz8q/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link&igsh=MXMwYXZuMGRjYXE5dw==(opens in a new window)