It’s disappointing to see the dismissal of self-published efforts as being unworthy of consideration. If the recent history of the English-language publishing industry is anything to go by, many celebrated bestselling titles and bestselling authors started out on the self-publishing circuit.

The International Organisation of La Francophonie (OIF) and the Arab League Educational, Cultural and Scientific Organisation (ALECSO) have opened submissions for the 2025 Ibn Khaldoun-Senghor Translation Prize. The award is worth €10,000 ($10,800).

About the Prize

Established in 2008 by OIF and ALECSO, the Ibn Khaldoun-Senghor Translation Prize celebrates excellence in the translation of literary works and humanities or social sciences texts between French and Arabic. Open to both translation directions, the prize aims to promote intercultural dialogue and linguistic diversity within the Francophone and Arab-speaking spheres.

Eligibility Criteria

Submissions are open to:

Individual translators
Universities and higher education institutions
Research centres
National associations and unions
Publishing houses

The submitted work must be a first-time translation published by a recognised publishing house within the past three years. Self-published works and manuscripts are not eligible. Each applicant may submit only one book for consideration.

Deadline for submissions: 30 June 2025. Full details, including submission guidelines and required documents, are available on the OIF website.

The View From the Beach

It’s disappointing to see the dismissal of self-published efforts as being unworthy of consideration. If the recent history of the English-language publishing industry is anything to go by, many celebrated bestselling titles and bestselling authors started out on the self-publishing circuit.

Many chose to stay there and reap the rewards of being an independent author while rising above the dismissive attitudes of the naysayers in the mainstream of the industry.

But this is early days for the Franco-Arab arena, and hopefully mindsets will change over time as more and more of the Franco-Arab production chain embrace the digital opportunities that democratise the industry.

This post first appeared in the TNPS LinkedIn newsfeed.