Submit Your (Arabic-to-English) Poetry Translations for These Prizes
There are roughly six zillion poetry prizes run by the small magazines of the U.S. and U.K. There are, however, very few prizes for literary works in translation. Some magazines allow (or even encourage) the submission of literary translations (see my list), but few admit these during prize season.
All right, most of the six zillion poetry prizes out there are about generating revenue to keep the small magazines afloat. But they also encourage writers to work on their craft.
If you know of more prizes that reward literary translation, please let us know.
The Times Stephen Spender Prize for Poetry Translation
It’s time to start thinking about this year’s Times Stephen Spender Prize. All you need to translate is one poem (and write a commentary of no more than 300 words.)
Entrants must be British residents or British citizens, but the Stephen Spender Trust “encourages submissions from children and adults who are British residents but have roots in other countries.” One imagines this also goes for dual British-Egyptian or other British-Arab citizens who live, well, anywhere.
And yes, they do mean children and adults. There are three categories: “Open,” “18 and under,” and “14 and under.”
There are a number of monetary prizes, ranging from £100 to £750, and the judges are Susan Bassnett, Edith Hall, Patrick McGuinness, George Szirtes.
The deadline for the 2011 prize is Friday, May 27. Find more information on the Stephen Spender Trust website.
2011 RHINO Translations Prize
This is the first I’ve heard of it, but Rhino Poetry Magazine has a poetry-translation prize and a poetry-translation initiative. To be eligible, you must have your poem published in the magazine; that’s how they find their pool of entrants.
If You Live in Queens, New York
…and are working on a full-length book of poetry (or a novella), submit to the first annual Queens in Love with Literature Translation Award. “Translations may be from any language into English and the work submitted must be a current work in progress, to be completed within one year of receipt of the award.”
The deadline is April 18, 2011.
To Put on Your Calendar for Next Year
John Dryden Translation Competition (January deadline)
Willis Barnstone Translation Prize, for one translated poem (December deadline)
Translations have been eligible for the Del Sol prize, but I don’t see anything about deadlines or submission guidelines for the 2011 award.
The British Comparative Literature Association and the British Centre for Literary Translation (University of East Anglia) translation competition (February deadline).
And don’t miss the NEA literary translation grant (January deadline)