Helen and Kurt Wolff Translator's Prize
1 appearances
-
Edition 9 (2004) Winner
Breon Mitchell
ブレオン・ミッチェル
Bureon Mitcheru
Aliases:
Bert Breon Mitchell
Profile
- Gender
- Male
- Born
- 1942-08-09 （Salina, Kansas, United States）
- Nationality
- United States
- Languages
- English
- Residence History
- Bloomington, Indiana, United States
Career
- Occupations
- Professor of Comparative Literature, Germanic studies scholar, Literary translator, Bibliographer, Library director
- Active Years
- 1968-2013
- Affiliations
- Indiana University Bloomington, Lilly Library, American Literary Translators Association (ALTA)
- Memberships
- American Literary Translators Association (founding member)
- Influenced By
- Franz Kafka, Günter Grass, Heinrich Böll, Siegfried Lenz, Uwe Timm
Education
| Institution | Faculty | Department | Degree | Period | Country |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| University of Kansas | College of Liberal Arts and Sciences | — | B.A. | 1960–1964 | United States |
| Oxford University | — | Comparative Literature / Germanic Studies | DPhil | 1964–1968 | United Kingdom |
University of Kansas
College of Liberal Arts and Sciences
Degree:
B.A.
Period:
1960–1964
Year of Graduation:
1964
Country:
United States
Oxford University
Comparative Literature / Germanic Studies
Degree:
DPhil
Period:
1964–1968
Year of Graduation:
1968
Country:
United Kingdom
Received DPhil
Awards
| Year | Award | Work | Category | Organization | Result |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| — | Ungar Prize (ATA) | — | — | American Translators Association (ATA) | 受賞 |
| — | ALTA Translation Prize | — | — | American Literary Translators Association (ALTA) | 受賞 |
| — | Kurt and Helen Wolff Prize | — | — | Kurt and Helen Wolff Foundation | 受賞 |
| — | Aldo and Jeanne Scaglione Prize (MLA) | — | — | Modern Language Association (MLA) | 受賞 |
| — | Schlegel-Tieck Prize | — | — | Society of Authors (UK) | 受賞 |
| — | Linda Gaboriau Prize (Banff Centre) | — | — | Banff Centre | 受賞 |
| 2013 | President's Distinguished Service Medal | — | — | Indiana University | 受賞 |
Ungar Prize (ATA)
Organization:
American Translators Association (ATA)
Result:
受賞
ALTA Translation Prize
Organization:
American Literary Translators Association (ALTA)
Result:
受賞
Kurt and Helen Wolff Prize
Organization:
Kurt and Helen Wolff Foundation
Result:
受賞
Aldo and Jeanne Scaglione Prize (MLA)
Organization:
Modern Language Association (MLA)
Result:
受賞
Schlegel-Tieck Prize
Organization:
Society of Authors (UK)
Result:
受賞
Linda Gaboriau Prize (Banff Centre)
Organization:
Banff Centre
Result:
受賞
President's Distinguished Service Medal
2013
Organization:
Indiana University
Result:
受賞
Awards & Nominations
Works
Major Works
The Trial (translation)
1925 Novel (translation)An English translation of Franz Kafka's unfinished novel. This edition seeks to convey the classic's portrayal of bureaucracy and absurd judicial processes while maintaining the original's ambiguity and estrangement effects for English-speaking readers.
BureaucracyAbsurdityJustice and the judiciaryAlienation
Adaptations
- [Film] The Trial (film) / Orson Welles (1962)
The Tin Drum (translation)
1959 Novel (translation) 600 pagesAn English translation of Günter Grass's landmark novel, depicting German society from the interwar period through the postwar era via a boy's perspective infused with fantastical elements and black humor.
History and memoryImpact of warComing-of-age and lossFantasy and reality
Adaptations
- [Film] The Tin Drum (film) / Volker Schlöndorff (1979)
The Silent Angel (translation)
Novel (translation)An English translation of a Heinrich Böll novel, introducing English readers to works that focus on postwar German society and the inner life of individuals.
Postwar GermanyIndividual and societyMorality and conscience
Selected Stories (translation)
Short story collection (translation)An English translation of selected short stories by Siegfried Lenz, collecting pieces that depict postwar German society and individual memory.
MemoryPostwar reconstructionEthics
Morenga (translation)
1978 Historical novel (translation)An English translation of Uwe Timm's historical novel examining colonial-era African history and German involvement.
ColonialismHistory and memoryCultural conflict
Bibliography
- Kafka: The Trial (translation)
- The Tin Drum (translation)
- The Silent Angel (translation)
- Selected Stories by Siegfried Lenz (translation)
- Morenga by Uwe Timm (translation)
- Scholarly articles and bibliographies on translation and bibliography (various)
Adaptations
- The Tin Drum film adaptation (1979)
- The Trial film adaptation (1962)
Translations by Author
- Literary translations from German into English (primarily 20th-century German-language literature)
Style & Themes
- Literary Style
- Accurate, scholarly translations that respect the tone and form of the originalA balance between fidelity to source text and readability for English readers
- Recurring Motifs
- Tension between fidelity and readability in translationRe-presenting history and memory
Legacy
Breon Mitchell is a translator and scholar who introduced major works of 20th-century German-language literature to English readers. He was a founding figure in ALTA and contributed to library leadership and bibliography.
Academic Societies
- American Literary Translators Association (ALTA)
Archives
- Indiana University archives (possible holdings related to his career)
- Lilly Library (collections and related materials)
Trivia
- Born in 1942 in Salina, Kansas.
- Received a DPhil from Oxford University.
- Served as Professor of Comparative Literature and Germanic Studies and as Director of the Lilly Library at Indiana University.
- Founding member of the American Literary Translators Association (ALTA) and served as an early president.
- Known as a collector of rare books.
- Retired from Indiana University in 2013 and received the President's Distinguished Service Medal.