Man Booker prize for translators
May 6, 2005
Today's Guardian tells us that whoever translated the book which will win the international fiction prize awarded by the Man Booker prize organisation next month will get a £15,000 reward (the author gets £60,000). This will be the first time a translator is rewarded for his or her contribution to literature, and about time too. Read the entire article.
Posted by céline, in Culture, on May 6, 2005That is so great - I hadn't heard, thank you Celine. Even greater if the Guardian had named the translators of the writers they listed! Long way to go, but it's a good start.
Posted by Jean on May 6, 2005 2:24 PMYes, the fact that in this article about translators, not one of them is named, whereas we get the whole list of authors, made me smile. Forever in the shadows...
Posted by céline on May 6, 2005 2:27 PM"This will be the first time a translator is rewarded for his or her contribution to literature"
Not strictly true, Céline. There is the Marsh Award, made every two years for a translation of a work of children's literature:
However, I don't think the Marsh Award is very well publicised.
Enjoyed your comments on MichaeLLL Howard, by the way :-)
Neij
Posted by neij on May 6, 2005 5:00 PMNot so long ago 25% of a literary prize awarded by an organization with Irish connections was awarded to the translator of a book by the exiled writer Tahar ben Jalloun from France.
The event was widely publicized too.
Previous: May 5, 2005
Are you thinking what I'm thinking? >>
Next: May 9, 2005
<< Becoming British