The BCLA/BCLT John Dryden Translation Competition for 2020-2021 is now open:
The British Comparative Literature Association (BCLA) and the British Centre for Literary Translation (BCLT) jointly sponsor this translation competition for 2020-2021, which seeks to reward “the best unpublished literary translations from any language into English,” although they somewhat oddly note this is “subject to finding a reader (entrance fee will be refunded if no reader is available).” Perhaps that is in the case of getting a poem translated from Ongota or Sami.
In any case, literary translation includes “poetry, prose, or drama from any period.”
The first prize is £350, second prize is £200, third prize is £100, and other entries may receive commendations.
Judges will be academics and translators assisted by expert bilingual readers specialising in the literatures for which entries are received.
Prize-winners will be announced in summer/autumn 2021 on the BCLA website, and winning entries will be published in full in Comparative Critical Studies and on the Edinburgh University Press website.
Those who join the BCLA between July 1 2020 and January 31 2021 may submit one entry free of charge. For others, the entry fee is £10 sterling for one, £15 for two, or £20 for three entries. Payment can be made via the University of Leeds secure online store: https://store.leeds.ac.uk/.
Find out more at the John Dryden Competition Entry form and the BCLA website.
