The Poetry Translation Centre is pleased to announce the shortlist for the inaugural Sarah Maguire Prize for Poetry in Translation. The PTC launched the Sarah Maguire Prize for Poetry in Translation to recognise the best book of poetry by a living poet from Africa, Asia, Latin America or the Middle East published in English translation and to champion the art of poetry in translation.
In its first year the prize has been judged by the poets and translators Alireza Abiz, Ida Hadjivayanis and Leo Boix.
The shortlist features books translated from Japanese, Arabic, Korean, Spanish and Chinese. The selection celebrates both the best of modern poetry from across the globe and showcases a range of different translation methodologies highlighting excellence in literary translation. In choosing their shortlist the judges looked for books which speak to UK audiences, but which maintained the unique spark of their original texts. The shortlisted books are:
Factory Girls by Takako Arai
Translated from Japanese by Jeffrey Angles, Jen Crawford, Carol Hayes, Rina Kikuchi, You Nakai and Sawako Nakayasu. (Published by Action Books, 2019)
A Boat to Lesbos and other poems by Nouri Al-Jarrah
Translated from Arabic by Camilo Gómez-Rivas and Allison Blecker. (Published by Banipal Books, 2018)
Incomprehensible Lesson by Fawzi Karim
In versions by Anthony Howell after translations from the Arabic made by the author. (Published by Carcanet Press Ltd, 2019)
Hysteria by Kim Yideum
Translated from Korean by Jake Levine, Soeun Seo & Hedgie Choi. (Published by Action Books, 2019)
Tiawanaku: Poems from the Mother Coqa by Judith Santopietro
Translated from Spanish by Ilana Luna. (Published by Orca Libros, 2019)
Anniversary Snow by Yang Lian
Translated from Chinese by Brian Holton with further translations by WN Herbert, L. Leigh, Liang Lizhen, Pascale Petit, Fiona Sampson, George Szirtes and Joshua Weiner. (Published by Shearsman Books, 2019)
Kim Yideum, Nouri Al-Jarrah, Fawzi Karim, Takako Arai, Yang Lian and Judith Santopietro
Alireza Abiz, poet and chair of judges, said: “Translation of poetry is a labour of love. Translating poetry from other cultures, especially from those less represented in the anglophone world, not only gives translated poets more exposure, it also enriches English poetry.”
The winning book will be announced at a public online event on Thursday 25 March. The successful poet and translators will share a £3,000 prize fund. Over the next six weeks leading up to the prizegiving, the PTC will focus on a different shortlisted book, sharing poems and interviews online.
Sarah Maguire Prize Anthology
The PTC has published The Sarah Maguire Prize 2020 Anthology to accompany the prize showcasing the six shortlisted poets and their translators, with selected poems from each of the nominated publications.
Get your copy of the Sarah Maguire Prize Anthology here.
Sarah Maguire Prize Events
A public online event Translating Poetries – The Sarah Maguire Prize Shortlist, will be held at the StAnza Poetry Festival – 19:30, Monday, 8 March 2021
Reserve a place to watch the shortlist poets live.
The prize will be announced in an online event with the judging panel on Thursday 25 March.
Reserve a place here to watch live.
The Sarah Maguire Prize for Poetry in Translation is supported by the Estate of Sarah Maguire, the British Council, the Garrick Charitable Trust, Golsoncott Foundation and the kind donations of the friends and family of Sarah Maguire.
Shortlisted Translators Jeffrey Angles, Jen Crawford, Carol Hayes, Rina Kikuchi, You Nakai and Sawako Nakayasu · Ilana Luna · Hedgie Choi, Jake Levine and Soeun Seo · Camilo Gómez-Rivas and Allison Blecker · Anthony Howell · Brian Holton, WN Herbert, L. Leigh* , Liang Lizhen* , Pascale Petit, Fiona Sampson, George Szirtes and Joshua Weiner. (*Not pictured)
& The Friends & Family of Sarah Maguire
