Book translation that keeps the author's voice
Specialist literary and non-fiction translators who carry your style, tone and meaning into a new language, so the book reads as if it were written for its new readers.
Translating a book takes more than linguistic skill. The translator has to understand the author's voice, the rhythm of the prose, the humour, the references and the expectations of readers in the target culture, and then make hundreds of decisions about how to carry all of that across.
SILA Linguists translates fiction, non-fiction, academic titles and children's books for authors, publishers and literary agents. We choose each translator for their literary experience and for a cultural background that fits your genre and your intended readership.
Throughout the project we keep the author or editor involved, flagging passages where a choice needs to be made, such as wordplay, dialect, invented names or culturally specific references, so that the final text honours the original.
Why choose SILA Linguists for books
Genre-matched translators
Fiction, memoir, academic, children's and illustrated books each need different skills. We match the translator to the genre and the audience.
Voice and style preserved
Tone, register, dialogue and pacing are treated as carefully as meaning.
Collaborative queries
Translator queries are gathered and shared with you, so creative decisions are agreed rather than assumed.
Consistency across the book
Character names, terminology and recurring phrases are tracked in a project glossary, which also helps with series and later editions.
Native-speaker proofreading
A second native-speaking professional reviews the manuscript before delivery.
Confidential manuscripts
Unpublished work is handled securely and covered by an NDA on request.
Book translation by SILA Linguists® for publishers, authors and institutions
SILA Linguists® provides book translation for publishers, literary agents, self-publishing authors, universities and charities bringing books to new readers. We translate novels and short fiction, memoirs and biographies, children's books and poetry, popular science and academic monographs, as well as sample chapters prepared for foreign rights negotiations. Our literary translators are also prepared for media and publishing, education and the charity sector, where reports, testimony collections and campaign books need to reach international audiences.
Each project is assigned to a literary or subject specialist who writes natively in the target language and is matched to your genre, register and audience. Translators keep a running glossary for names, invented terms and recurring images, and an editor checks voice and consistency before delivery. We work into and out of English and between other languages, including French, Italian, German, Spanish, Greek and Arabic, drawing on more than 350 languages and dialects for clients in the UK, the United States, Canada, Australia, New Zealand and beyond. Authors are welcome to review queries during the work, and we can supply a reader's report or back-translated extracts before you commit to a full title.
Books often travel with other content. SILA Linguists® can produce research translation for scholarly apparatus and grant applications, document translation of contracts, rights agreements and author correspondence, with certified translation where an official copy is needed, multimedia localisation for book trailers and audiobooks, and transcription of interviews and oral histories that become source material. For festivals, launches and author tours we provide conference and escort interpreting. Manuscripts stay confidential under NDA and UK GDPR until publication day.
Step by step
Share the manuscript
Send the text or an extract, the target language, the intended market and any style requirements from your publisher.
Translator selection
We propose a translator whose literary experience and background suit the book, and agree the scope and schedule.
Translation and queries
The translator works through the book, sharing questions on difficult passages as they arise.
Review and delivery
The manuscript is proofread by a native-speaking professional and delivered ready for your editorial process.
Frequently asked questions
Can I be involved in the translation?
Yes, and we encourage it. Authors and editors can answer translator queries and review key passages, which helps preserve the intent of the original.
Do you translate children's books and illustrated titles?
Yes. Children's books need particular care with rhythm, rhyme and reading level, and we take the illustrations into account where text and image interact.
Who owns the rights to the translation?
Rights and translator credit are agreed in writing before the project starts. Discuss your publishing plans with us so the arrangement suits them.
Tell us the language, the format and the date
Our bookings team will confirm the details with you and arrange the right linguist. Have the language (and dialect, if you know it), the type of assignment and the date ready.