The Oxford-Weidenfeld Prize is for book-length literary translations into English from any living European language. It aims to honour the craft of translation, and to recognise its cultural importance. It is funded by Lord Weidenfeld and by New College, The Queen’s College and St Anne’s College, Oxford.
This year’s judges are Valentina Gosetti, Jonathan Katz, Graham Nelson, and Patrick McGuinness (Chair).
The short list includes eight books from an outstanding entry of nearly 110 titles in translations from 15 different languages.
Once again there were impressive submissions from both larger and smaller publishing houses: Jonathan Cape, Faber & Faber, Istros Books, MacLehose Press, Oneworld, and Bloomsbury. The list contains translations from six languages.
The winner will be announced at the prizegiving and dinner at St Anne’s College, Oxford on Saturday 11 June. Shortlisted translators will be invited to introduce their work, and perhaps read extracts. This will be the crowning event of Oxford Translation Day, which boasts a varied programme of talks, workshops and readings. Details are available here.
2016 short list includes:
Paul Vincent and John Irons for 100 Dutch-Language Poems (Holland Park Press)
John Cullen for Kamel Daoud’s The Meursault Investigation (Oneworld)
Stephen Pearl for Ivan Goncharov’s The Same Old Story (Alma Classics)
Don Bartlett for Karl Ove Knausgaard’s Dancing in the Dark: My Struggle (Harvill Secker)
Shaun Whiteside for Charles Lewinsky’s Melnitz (Atlantic Books)
Lola M. Rogers for Sofi Oksanen’s When the Doves Disappeared (Atlantic Books)
Philip Roughton for Jón Kalman Stefánsson’s The Heart of Man (MacLehose Press)
Lisa C. Hayden for Eugene Vodolazkin’s Laurus (Oneworld)
More information here.