Tomedes Insights: 2013 TLS Literary Translation Awards

Britain's The Times Literary Supplement 2013 Literary Translation Prizes

For those who may be unaware of the historical and influential value Britain's national newspaper, The Times, carries as a critical publication and newspaper, it  was the first to coin the name "the Times" in 1785. Among influenced newspapers are The New York Times, Los Angeles Times, Seattle Times, The Times of Israel and The Times of India, to name just a few. Acclaimed authors and poets have been both introduced by, and contributed to The Times Literary Supplement, or TLS, including Henry James, Virginia Woolf, and T.S. Eliot.  Philip Larkin was introduced as a poet for the first time in a Christmas edition of TLS.

This brief introduction is just to assert the prestige and importance of the literary translation prizes that The Times Literary Supplement awards annually.  Translators who have supremely mastered language translation of literary works of highly regarded authors are usually awarded in four languages: German, Spanish, Arabic and French literary translation.  This year, however, four others were added: Italian, Portuguese, Swedish and Italian translation.

2013 TLS Award-Winning Translators and Their English Translation of Literary Works

Six novels and two books of poetry were awarded the TLS translation prizes alongside their translators:

1. A Muslim Suicide, by Bensalem Himmich: Arabic to English translation award to Roger Allen
2. La Peur, by Gabriel Chevallier: French to English translation award to Malcolm Imries.
3. Why the Child is Cooking in the Polenta, by Aglaja Veteranyi: German to English translation award to Vincent Kling.
4. Selected Poems by C.P. Cavafy: Greek to English translation award to Avi Sharon.
5. Scent of a Woman by Giovanni Arpino: Italian to English translation award to Anne Milano Appel.
6. The Word Tree, by Teolinda Gersão: Portuguese to English translation award to Margaret Jull Costa
7. Chickweed Wintergreen, poetry by Harry Martinson: Swedish to English translation award to Robin Fulton.
8. Exiled from Almost Everywhere, by Juan Goytisolo: Spanish to English translation award to Peter Bush.