Internship Opportunity at New Books in German

We are currently recruiting an intern to join the New Books in German (NBG) project. If you’re eager to see the project first-hand and support the selection of books that we feature, this could be a great opportunity for you! This internship will start around the end of March and run for six months.

Application Deadline: Monday, 24th March at 9am GMT

Please read the following information carefully for details on how to apply.

About the Internship
Twice a year, we invite an intern to work with us closely from the initial submission of books by publishers to the final publication of recommendations on the website. This is a task-driven internship, offering significant flexibility regarding when individual pieces of work are completed. However, some tasks have specific deadlines, and it’s essential to maintain regular communication as you progress with your work.

The role is remote, but you will need to be available for meetings during UK working hours.

What is it like to be an NBG intern?

What we offer:

  • An opportunity to work with our jury, with members drawn from the publishing, translation and cultural sectors
  • An insight into our book selection process
  • The chance to see what is up and coming from German-language publishing houses
  • A flexible internship where the majority of tasks can be organized around your existing commitments. However, you will need to be available for two jury meetings, which take place in the late morning or afternoon UK time.
  • A good deal of opportunity to tailor the internship to meet your needs and interests
  • Work is done from home. The two jury meetings are held at the Goethe-Institut London but attendance via Zoom is possible.

What we ask for:

  • Confident written and spoken communication skills in English and German
  • A passion for German-language literature and/or for literature in translation
  • An entrepreneurial, can-do attitude
  • Ability to use MS Office
  • Ability to use initiative and work independently, but to know when to seek guidance
  • Ability to work flexibly as part of a team
  • Excellent attention to detail
  • Experience in using WordPress (desirable)
  • Proofreading or copyediting experience (desirable)
  • Experience in writing or editing for the web (desirable)

Internship: the role and responsibilities

The tasks assigned will vary depending on project needs, your experience, and availability, but may include:

  • Preparing a reader report on a selected book (for which an additional £100 fee is payable to you)
  • Writing an article or conducting an interview for the NBG website
  • Translating information on books submitted to us from German into English
  • Helping to prepare for jury meetings (by filing manuscripts and checking all is in order) and attending the jury meetings and taking notes. These meetings will be hybrid with the option of attending in person or online.
  • Researching and updating a database of German-language publications appearing in English translation
  • Researching information on books and authors featured by NBG
  • General administrative tasks or other tasks that could reasonably be expected of an intern

How to Apply

To apply, please send a CV (no more than two pages) and a cover letter that outlines:

Why you are applying for this internship.
What you hope to gain from the experience.
How your skills and experience match the qualifications listed above.
Deadline for Applications: Monday, 24th March at 9am GMT.

Submission Instructions:
Please save your CV and cover letter as one document with your name as the file title and send it via email to Sarah Hemens at shemens@new-books-in-german.com.

Additional Information
Note: We often receive applications where candidates do not clearly demonstrate how their experience matches the criteria listed under “What We Ask For.” To increase your chances of a successful application, please ensure you address these points in your cover letter.
We are unable to provide feedback on unsuccessful applications.

We may also recruit volunteers or interns for other areas such as social media, marketing, impact assessment, and fundraising throughout the year. These roles will be advertised on our website and social media.

About New Books in German

Find out more about our work to promote German language literature for translation into English

Find Funding

Discover more about the guaranteed support for translation into English

News

Delve into articles and interviews about books, publishers, translators, authors and the German language literary field.