The long-awaited Best Translated Book Award finalists have just been announced in both the poetry and fiction categories. I am delighted to see a number of excellent smaller presses represented, along with many translators whose work I admire. Special congratulations to New Directions, Archipelago and Zephyr, each of which is doubly represented.
Behold the two shortlists:
POETRY
Relocations: 3 Contemporary Russian Women Poets by Polina Barskova, Anna Glazova, and Maria Stepanova, translated from the Russian by Catherine Ciepiela, Anna Khasin, and Sibelan Forrester (Russia; Zephyr Press)
A Guest in the Wood by Elsa Biagini, translated from the Italian by Diana Thow, Sarah Stickney, and Eugene Ostashevsky (Italy; Chelsea Editions)
The Unknown University by Roberto Bolaño, translated from the Spanish by Laura Healy (Chile, New Directions)
White Piano by Nicole Brossard, translated from the French by Robert Majzels and Erin Mouré (Canada; Coach House Press)
Murder by Danielle Collobert, translated from the French by Nathanaël (France; Litmus Press)
In the Moremarrow by Oliverio Girondo, translated from the Spanish by Molly Weigel (Argentina; Action Books)
Paul Klee’s Boat by Anzhelina Polonskaya, translated from the Russian by Andrew Wachtel (Russia; Zephyr Press)
Four Elemental Bodies by Claude Royet-Journaud, translated from the French by Keith Waldrop (France; Burning Deck)
The Oasis of Now by Sohrab Sepehri, translated from the Persian by Kazim Ali and Mohammad Jafar Mahallati (Iran; BOA Editions)
His Days Go By the Way Her Years by Ye Mimi, translated from the Chinese by Steve Bradbury (Taiwan; Anomalous Press)
FICTION
Horses of God by Mahi Binebine, translated from the French by Lulu Norman (Morocco; Tin House)
Blinding by Mircea Cărtărescu, translated from the Romanian by Sean Cotter (Romania; Archipelago Books)
The Story of a New Name by Elena Ferrante, translated from the Italian by Ann Goldstein (Italy; Europa Editions)
Tirza by Arnon Grunberg, translated from the Dutch by Sam Garrett (Netherlands; Open Letter Books)
My Struggle: Book Two by Karl Ove Knausgaard, translated from the Norwegian by Don Bartlett (Norway; Archipelago Books)
Seiobo There Below by László Krasznahorkai, translated from the Hungarian by Ottilie Mulzet (Hungary; New Directions)
A True Novel by Minae Mizumura, translated from the Japanese by Juliet Winters (Japan; Other Press)
The African Shore by Rodrigo Rey Rosa, translated from the Spanish by Jeffrey Gray (Guatemala; Yale University Press)
Leg Over Leg Vol. 1 by Ahmad Faris al-Shidyaq, translated from the Arabic by Humphrey Davies (Lebanon; New York University Press)
The Forbidden Kingdom by Jan Jacob Slauerhoff, translated from the Dutch by Paul Vincent (Netherlands; Pushkin Press)
This year’s judges include – for poetry – Stefania Heim, Bill Martin, Rebecca McKay, Daniele Pantano, and Anna Rosenwong; and for fiction, George Carroll, Monica Carter, Scott Esposito, Sarah Gerard, Elizabeth Harris, Daniel Medin, Michael Orthofer, Stephen Sparks and Jenn Witte.
The winners of the Best Translated Book Awards in both categories will be announced on April 28, 2014, so if you’re the betting type, time’s a-wastin’! Watch this space for the news when it breaks.
Sad to see there’s nothing from the German this year.