The Center for the Art of Translation

What The Center for the Art of Translation does

The Center for the Art of Translation is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit literary organization founded in 2000 in San Francisco. It operates three integrated programs: Two Lines Press, an award-winning book publisher specializing in translated literature (71 books published, including five National Book Award finalists and winners); Poetry Inside Out, an educational program bringing poetry translation into grades 3-12 classrooms (20,000+ students and teachers served); and a public programs division hosting 50+ events annually, including the Day of Translation festival in partnership with The Center for Fiction. The organization has reached 151,000 readers and 32,000+ event attendees across 325+ events over its 26-year history.

The organization is funded through a hybrid revenue model combining book sales ($14.95-$16.95 per title), individual donations and foundation grants, event revenue, and Two Lines Press membership subscriptions. Its go-to-market approach is community-led, relying on 50+ annual public programs, educational workshops, and direct engagement with translators, readers, educators, and students rather than paid advertising. Books are distributed through standard book distribution channels across the US and UK, plus direct online sales via twolinespress.com and event-based sales.

The Center is currently executing an ambitious $17 million capital campaign (with $14.2 million raised as of the most recent disclosure) to open a permanent 7,400-square-foot headquarters at 554-556 Commercial Street in San Francisco in 2027. The facility will house event space, the West Coast's only bookstore dedicated exclusively to translated literature, and community spaces for translators and writers. Leadership includes founder and Board Chair Olivia E. Sears (PhD, Stanford), President Michael Holtmann (former NEA, Folger Shakespeare Library), and Publisher CJ Evans. The organization was named one of forty inaugural recipients of a 2026 Literary Arts Fund General Operating Grant.

Name

The Center for the Art of Translation

Legal name

Center for the Art of Translation

Website

https://catranslation.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

2000

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

The Center for the Art of Translation is a San Francisco-based 501(c)(3) nonprofit that publishes translated literature through Two Lines Press, runs the Poetry Inside Out K-12 poetry translation education program, and hosts 50+ public literary events annually for translators, readers, educators, and students.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

San Francisco

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices2 records

Markets served

Offering type

Services

Revenue model

1. Book Sales (Two Lines Press): Sale of translated literary works through Two Lines Press, distributed throughout US and UK
2. Donations and Grants: 501(c)(3) nonprofit funded through individual donations, foundation grants, and corporate sponsorships including current $17M capital campaign
3. Event Revenue: Fees from public programs, workshops, and educational events
4. Membership Programs: Two Lines Press membership offering discounts and exclusive access

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

No factual content about the company's core offering is supported by source-cited evidence in the provided input.

Product overview

The Center for the Art of Translation is a nonprofit literary organization comprising multiple interconnected programs. Its core offerings include Two Lines Press (award-winning publisher of translated literature), the Two Lines Journal (publications of translated works), the Poetry Inside Out education program (bringing poetry translation into K-12 classrooms), the Calico Series (thematic book collections of vanguard translated literature), and Events & Public Programs (50+ annual events including the Day of Translation festival). Together, these programs serve translators, educators, readers, and the broader literary community.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Two Lines Press: Award-winning publisher dedicated to bringing translated literature to English-language readers
• Calico Series
• Poetry Inside Out
• Two Lines Journal

Quantifiable outcome

• Reached 151,000 readers through events and Two Lines Press publications
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers3 records

Segments4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature3 records

Partnerships

Eight partnerships are on record, tiered core, major and minor.

• The Center for FictioncoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerAnnual partnership for Day of Translation, now in its 7th year. The Center for Fiction hosts the event in Brooklyn, NY (or via livestream), bringing together translators, authors, and readers for a day of programming celebrating literary translation.
• Jensen ArchitectscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerLocal architecture firm engaged for major renovation of the historic building at 554-556 Commercial Street, San Francisco. Working on transforming the three-story, 7,400-square-foot building into a literary and cultural center opening in 2027.
• Indie Bookstores and Literary VenuesmajorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorPartnership with independent bookstores and literary venues in the Bay Area for event programming. Organization works with these partners to host events and distribute books.
• Bay Area Literary and Arts CommunitymajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerThe new permanent headquarters will provide shared resources and venue access for the larger Bay Area literary and arts community, supporting organizations struggling with displacement and rental costs.
• Transit BooksminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerBay Area neighbor and literary press. Founder Olivia Sears appeared in conversation with Transit Books on KQED's Forum discussing the new literary space.
• KQEDminorGTM or Marketing PartnerBay Area public media partner. Featured interview with founder and board chair Olivia Sears about the new literary space, and covered the Literary Arts Fund grant announcement.
• Cuentero ProductionsminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaborated on Unbound Translations, a listening party exploring translation through sound and performance with Litquake.
• LitquakeminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerBay Area literary festival collaboration for Unbound Translations event exploring translation through sound and performance.

Scale indicators8 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Broad incumbents

• Milkweed Editions: Nonprofit literary publisher with a mission-driven catalog that includes translated works alongside original English-language literature. Comparable as a peer nonprofit literary press with similar funding model and programmatic scope.
• Graywolf Press: Major independent nonprofit literary publisher with a broader catalog than Two Lines Press but overlapping author and audience base. Karen Gu (Two Lines Press publicist) previously worked at Graywolf, illustrating direct talent and audience overlap.
• City Lights Books: Historic San Francisco independent bookstore and publisher with deep overlap in literary-translation and counterculture literary programming. Comparable as Bay Area literary institution; several CAT staff previously worked at City Lights.
• Coffee House Press: Established nonprofit literary publisher based in Minneapolis with broader independent literary catalog (not exclusively translation). Comparable as a fellow nonprofit independent press with similar grant and donor-funded model.

Direct peers

• Open Letter Books: University of Rochester press dedicated to publishing translated literature from around the world. Direct peer in translated-literature publishing with comparable catalog size and editorial mission.
• Archipelago Books: Independent nonprofit publisher devoted exclusively to translated literature. Directly comparable to Two Lines Press in mission, output type, and target audience (English-language readers of international literary fiction and poetry).
• Restless Books: Independent publisher of translated world literature, with similar catalog focus on international fiction, poetry, and nonfiction. Shares the niche translated-literature positioning with Two Lines Press.
• NYRB Classics: Imprint of New York Review Books focused on reprinting and translating overlooked literary works from the past. Comparable in translated-literature focus though oriented to reissues rather than contemporary publishing.
• Words Without Borders: Online literary magazine publishing translated writing and serving a similar community of translators, readers, and educators. Directly comparable to Two Lines Journal in format and audience.

Others

• The Center for Fiction: New York-based literary nonprofit that hosts the annual Day of Translation in partnership with CAT. Comparable as a literary-organization peer and direct programming partner, with overlapping audiences of translators and readers.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/center.for.translation
• Instagraminstagram.com/catranslation
• Xx.com/CATranslation

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Subsidiaries2 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about The Center for the Art of Translation