OPEN CALL FOR AUTHORS
Call Reference: PageBreaker-WP3-2026-01
Project: PageBreaker (Grant Acronym: IRAC, EU Grant ID: 101255884)
Task: Literary Adaptation & Linguistic Fine-Tuning for Young Readers (Válka s Mloky / War with the Newts by Karel Čapek)
Total Call Budget: €3,500 (Maximum Grant per Recipient: €3,500 /~88,000 CZK)
Expected Duration of Engagement: Q1–Q3 2027
Call Opening Date: 1 October 2026
Call Submission Deadline:
Inquiries & Contact Email: submission@pagebreaker.eu
Managing EU Beneficiary: Projector23 GmbH & Co KG
Call Webpage: www.pagebreaker.eu
1. About Our Project
We are developing a digital, interactive reading format designed to engage young people with classic literature. We are not aiming for a radical reinterpretation or a heavily simplified adaptation: the narrative, plot, and timeless themes of the original remain fully intact. We are seeking a sophisticated, elegant, and smart text version in Czech that stays true to the tone of the original while being linguistically tailored to directly resonate with teenagers and young adults (16-24).
2. Scope of Tasks & Activities
Literary Fine-Tuning: High-level literary development of the original Czech text of Karel Čapek’s War with the Newts (Czech).
Creation of the Mastertext: Crafting a precise, elegant, and modern text that serves as the central literary foundation for the digital system.
Collaborative Editing: Constructive exchanges and regular feedback rounds with our literary editors and dramaturgs throughout the creative process.
3. Eligibility Criteria
Eligible Applicants: Freelance authors, translators, editors, or natural persons established in EU Member States or Creative Europe participating countries.
Language Requirement: Native or professional mastery of the Czech language.
Qualifications: Proven experience as an established author or in literary translation with a strong literary instinct for Čapek’s irony, tone, and style. Enjoyment of working collaboratively with an experienced editorial and dramaturgical team.
4. Fellowship Structure & Payment Schedule
Production Schedule: Creation of the main literary work in Q1–Q2 2027, followed by final editorial adjustments and fine-tuning in Q3 2027.
Literary Fellowships & Travel Support (Fixed Lump Sums):
- Fellowship Fee (Literary Adaptation & Fine-Tuning): Up to €3,000 for ~250 pages (calculated at €1,000/month over 3 months).
- Travel Allowance: €500 fixed lump sum for participation in editorial meetings in Berlin in 2027.
- Total Lump Sum Award: €3,500 /~88,000 CZK
5. Indicative Timeline
Application Deadline: 9 December 2026
Evaluation & Selection: December 2026 – January 2027
Award Notification: January 2027
Implementation Period: Q1–Q3 2027 (Mastertext drafting in Q1–Q2 2027; final editorial adjustments in Q3 2027)
6. Award Criteria & Evaluation Procedure
Proposals will be evaluated out of 100 points by an evaluation panel based on the following standard criteria:
- Quality & Relevance of Sample Text & Strategy Note (60 Points): Artistic merit, literary elegance, fidelity to Čapek's tone, clarity of the modernisation approach, and stylistic compatibility with the project's narrative tone.
- Operational Capacity & Relevant Experience (40 Points): Published works, portfolio of original writing, literary translation track record, or editorial background.
Quality Threshold: Applications must achieve a minimum overall score of 70 points (70%) to be considered. If no proposal meets this quality threshold, the project reserves the right to extend the call deadline or re-issue the call.
Fairness & Equal Treatment: Evaluations are conducted in strict accordance with EU standards of transparency, equal treatment, confidentiality, and non-conflict of interest.
7. Application & Submission Procedure
Please send your application by 9 December 2026 at the latest to submission@pagebreaker.eu
Your application must include:
- CV & Portfolio: Short CV and list of relevant publications/references.
- 5-Page Sample Text: Literary adaptation/fine-tuning of the provided excerpt of Válka s Mloky targeted towards young readers. Download the excerpt here: Download PDF.
- Modernisation Strategy Note (Max 1 Page): A short concept note outlining your strategic vision, linguistic approach, and methodology for adapting Čapek’s prose for a teenage audience.
8. EU Compliance & Transparency Declarations
Non-Double Funding: By submitting an application, applicants confirm that the proposed work has not received and will not receive any other direct EU funding (Declaration on Non-Double Funding).
Publishing Results: In compliance with EU transparency guidelines, final evaluation results (recipient names, countries of establishment, and awarded amounts) will be published on the project website.
You can also download the Open Call in English (PDF) or Czech (PDF).
If you have any questions, please contact us at submission@pagebreaker.eu.
Co-funded by the European Union under Project 101255884 (IRAC / PageBreaker). Views and opinions expressed are however those of the author(s) only and do not necessarily reflect those of the European Union or EACEA. Neither the European Union nor the granting authority can be held responsible for them.
