Agency
About us
The Mertin Witt Literary Agency has been promoting literature in the Portuguese and Spanish languages worldwide since 1982, with an emphasis on adult fiction. Recently we have added some handpicked authors of other languages as well. We represent our authors both in their home countries and abroad. Among others, we established internationally the work by Luis Sepúlveda, whose novel “The Story of a Seagull and the Cat Who Taught Her to Fly” sold 5 million copies, and by José Saramago, who went on to win the Nobel Prize for Literature in 1998. The agency attends many important international book fairs and literary festivals every year. You can write to us in English, Portuguese, Spanish, French or German. We have been voted International Literary Agent of the Year 2015 by The London Book Fair, in partnership with the UK Publishers Association.
Seit 1982 engagiert sich die Literarische Agentur Mertin Witt für die internationale Verbreitung portugiesisch- und spanischsprachiger Literatur mit dem Schwerpunkt Belletristik. Inzwischen zählen außerdem einige handverlesene Autoren anderer Sprachen zu unserem Katalog. Wir vertreten unsere Autoren in ihren Heimatländern und international. Unter anderem haben wir dazu beigetragen, das Werk von Luis Sepúlveda, dessen Roman “Wie Kater Zorbas der kleinen Möwe das Fliegen beibrachte” 5 Millionen Exemplare verkauft hat, international zu etablieren, und dem Werk von José Saramago weltweit zu höchster Anerkennung zu verhelfen, für das der Autor 1998 den Nobelpreis für Literatur erhalten sollte. Die Agentur ist jedes Jahr auf einer Vielzahl wichtiger internationaler Buchmessen und Literaturfestivals vertreten. Sie können uns in deutscher, englischer, portugiesischer, spanischer und französischer Sprache schreiben. Im Jahr 2015 hat die Agentur Mertin Witt den International Literary Agent Award gewonnen, der von der Londoner Buchmesse und der UK Publishers Association vergeben wird.
Nascida em 1982, a Agência Literária Mertin Witt dedica-se à divulgação das literaturas em português e em espanhol, há algum tempo aceitando também a representação de autores de outras línguas, e focando-se sobretudo em obras de ficção. Representa os seus autores tanto nos seus países de origem como internacionalmente. Entre outros, a estabelecemos nos mercados editoriais internacionais a obra de Luis Sepúlveda, cujo romance “A história da gaivota e do gato que a ensinou a voar” vendeu 5 milhões de exemplares em todo o mundo, bem como a de José Saramago, Prémio Nobel de Literatura em 1998. Estamos presentes, anualmente, nas mais importantes feiras do livro e festivais de literatura internacionais. Podem escrever-nos em português, espanhol, inglês, francês e alemão. Em 2015 a agência Mertin Witt ganhou o Prémio de Melhor Agente do Ano, atribuído pela Feira do Livro de Londres e pela a UK Publishers Association.
Desde 1982, la Agencia Literaria Mertin Witt se ha dedicado a la divulgación de la literatura en portugués y español, haciendo especial hincapié en la narrativa para adultos. Desde hace algún tiempo hemos aceptado también la representación de algunos autores de otras lenguas. Representamos a los autores en sus países de origen e internacionalmente. Entre otras, hemos establecido en los mercados editoriales internacionales la obra de Luis Sepúlveda, cuya novela “La historia de una gaviota y del gató que le eseñó a volar” ha vendido en todo el mundo 5 millones de ejemplares, y la de José Saramago, a quien en 1998 le fue otorgado el Premio Nobel de Literatura. La agencia participa anualmente en las feria del libro y los festivales de literatura internacionales más importantes. Nos pueden escribir en español, portugués, inglés, francés y alemán. En 2015, la Agencia Literaria Mertin Witt recibió el premio al mejor agente del año, entregado por la Feria del libro de Londres e la asociación de editores británicos.
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Partners and Participations
Links
Grants for Translation and Publication
ARGENTINA
Programa – SUR de apoyo a las traducciones
Applications for grants will be received until 21st August 2026
Genres elegible in 2026 are: Poetry, Essay, Graphic novel/comic, Chronicle, Dramaturgy
Publication of works approved for grants: until 30th November 2027
www.programa-sur.cancilleria.gob.ar/
BALEARIC ISLANDS
Institut d’Estudis Baleàrics (IEB)
The IEB encourages the internationalisation of outstanding artistic work, fosters mobility of artists and artworks abroad and broadens the international awareness of the Balearic Islands’ artistic heritage from its four islands: Mallorca, Menorca, Eivissa and Formentera.
www.iebalearics.org
BRAZIL
Brazilian National Library
Fundação Biblioteca Nacional – Ministério da Cultura
Information for the 2026 Translation Grant will be added here as soon as available.
www.gov.br
CHILE
DIRAC
On the way to Frankfurt: Translating Chile 2027
https://www.dirac.gob.cl/traducciones
Applications for translation grants will be received until 31st July 2026
Documents for application can be found in Spanish and English here
Recommendations for translation for the upcoming Guest of Honour at Frankfurt Book Fair 2027 by the Foreign Ministry of Chile in collaboration with LITPROM Promoting Global Stories, an initiative of the Frankfurt Book Fair:
Longlist (English)
Shortlist (German)
COLOMBIA
Reading Colombia
Co-financing program for the translation and promotion of Colombian literary and scientific works in foreign languages.
www.camlibro.com.co
EU
Creative Europe Programme
The CREA-CULT-2026-LIT programme supports projects that will translate, publish, distribute and promote European works of fiction, in particular by encouraging translations from lesser used languages into English, German, French, Spanish (Castilian) and Italian.
www.ec.europa.eu
GERMANY
Litprom – Promoting Global Stories
The program, a partnership between the Frankfurt Book Fair and the Goethe-Institut, offers translation funding for works of fiction from Africa, Asia, Latin America, the Arab world, Israel and Turkey into German.
www.buchmesse.de
MEXICO
Grants for the Translation of Mexican Books
Programa de Apoyo a la Traducción de Obras Mexicanas a Lenguas Extranjeras (ProTrad)
fonca.cultura.gob.mx/convocatorias/abiertas/
PORTUGAL
Portuguese Book Institute
Direcção Geral do Livro e das Bibliotecas – DGLB
(formerly: Instituto Português do Livro e das Bibliotecas – IPLB)
https://dglab.gov.pt/
Translation funding
http://livro.dglab.gov.pt/sites/DGLB/Portugues/divulgacaoEstrangeiro/apoioTraducaoeEdicao.aspx
http://livro.dglab.gov.pt/sites/DGLB/English/BookDepartment/PromotionAbroad.aspx
Support for publishing in Brazil
http://livro.dglab.gov.pt/sites/DGLB/Portugues/divulgacaoEstrangeiro/EdicaoBrasil/.aspx
Support for illustrations and Comics
http://livro.dglab.gov.pt/sites/DGLB/DesenhadaIlustracao.aspx
http://livro.dglab.gov.pt/sites/DGLB/PictureBooksGrants.aspx
Camões Institute
Camões Instituto da Cooperação e da Língua
https://www.instituto-camoes.pt/
SPAIN
Grants for the Translation of books written in Spanish language (also by non-Spanish authors) or in any co- official language of Spain:
Subvenciones en régimen de concurrencia competitiva para el fomento de la traducción a lenguas extranjeras
www.mcu.es
www.mcu.es/TraduccionLenguaExtranjera_triptico.pdf
Direct link to translation grants for works written in Euskera (Basque language):
Enlace directo a las ayudas a la traducción de obras escritas en euskera:
https://eizie.eus/en/resources/etxepare-basque-institute-grants-and-prizes?set_language=en
URUGUAY
Translation funding
Programa IDA: Programa de traducción y apoyo a la exportación editorial
https://www.uruguayxxi.gub.uy/es/quiero-exportar/herramientas/programa-ida/
Press
Up-magazine TAP Portugal: Professional traveller, Nicole Witt
// A literary agent who makes the works of the writers she represents travel the world. READ MORE
Publish News: Vida de Agente
// Diário de bordo. > https://www.publishnews.com.br/diario-de-bordo
Publish News: Escritoras brasileiras fazem bonito na Alemanha
// Adriana Lisboa e Andréa del Fuego têm direitos vendidos para o exterior. > https://www.publishnews.com.br/escritoras-brasileiras-fazem-bonito-na-alemanha
Literatura brasileira no mundo – Fórum das Letras de Ouro Preto
// Os agentes literários Nicole Witt da Alemanha e Jonah Straus dos Estados Unidos, o pesquisador e tradutor alemão Berthold Zilly e o autor Affonso Romano de Sant'Anna coversam sobre a internacionalização da literatura brasileira. > READ MORE
Frankfurter Buchmesse: Rights Center – LitAg
// Interview Literaturagentin Nicole Witt. > Watch Video on YouTube
Wie wichtig ist London fürs Geschäft?
// boersenblatt.net: Nicole Witt gibt Antwort auf die Sonntagsfrage. > READ MORE
Cosecharás tu siembra: hablan los agentes de los escritores argentinos
// En vísperas de la Feria de Frankfurt, con Argentina como país invitado de honor. > READ MORE
A fixed star in the Berlinale firmament: Breakfast & Books
// Nicole Witt pitches the novel "All yours" by Claudia Piñeiro at the Berlinale 2010. > READ MORE
