Helen and Kurt Wolff Translator's Prize
1 appearances
-
Edition 2 (1997) Winner
Leila Vennewitz
レイラ・ヴェンネヴィッツ
Leila Vennewitz
Aliases:
Leila Croot
Profile
- Gender
- Female
- Born
- 1912-01-01 （Hampshire, England）
- Died
- 2007-08-08 （Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada） age 95
- Nationality
- British, Canadian
- Languages
- English, German, French, Chinese
- Residence History
- Portsmouth (childhood) → Vancouver (final ~50 years)
Career
- Occupations
- translator
- Active Years
- 1962-1997
- Influenced By
- Heinrich Böll (major author she translated), Alexander Kluge, Friedrich Dürrenmatt
Education
| Institution | Faculty | Department | Degree | Period | Country |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| University of Paris (Sorbonne) | — | — | — | 不明 | France |
| Studies at institutions in Germany (various) | — | — | — | 不明 | Germany |
| Extended stay/studies in China (various locations) | — | — | — | 約12年 | China |
University of Paris (Sorbonne)
Period:
不明
Country:
France
Studied in Paris; exact years unknown.
Studies at institutions in Germany (various)
Period:
不明
Country:
Germany
Undertook further studies/immersion in Germany; contributed to German language proficiency.
Extended stay/studies in China (various locations)
Period:
約12年
Country:
China
Spent approximately 12 years in China; details of institutional affiliation unknown.
Awards
| Year | Award | Work | Category | Organization | Result |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1968 | Schlegel-Tieck Prize | End of a Mission (translation of Ende einer Dienstfahrt) | — | Society of Authors | 受賞 |
| 1979 | Goethe House P.E.N. Prize (American Center of P.E.N.) | And Never Said a Word (translation of Und sagte kein einziges Wort) | — | American Center of P.E.N. | 受賞 |
| 1997 | Helen and Kurt Wolff Translator’s Prize | Jacob the Liar (translation of Jakob der Lügner) | — | Helen and Kurt Wolff Prize organizers | 受賞 |
| 1989 | German Literary Prize (from the American Translators Association) | Breakers (translation of Brandung) | — | American Translators Association | 受賞 |
| 1994 | Schlegel-Tieck Prize (shortlist) | Narcissus and Goldmund (translation of Narziss und Goldmund) | — | Society of Authors | ショートリスト |
Schlegel-Tieck Prize
1968
Work:
End of a Mission (translation of Ende einer Dienstfahrt)
Organization:
Society of Authors
Result:
受賞
Goethe House P.E.N. Prize (American Center of P.E.N.)
1979
Work:
And Never Said a Word (translation of Und sagte kein einziges Wort)
Organization:
American Center of P.E.N.
Result:
受賞
Helen and Kurt Wolff Translator’s Prize
1997
Work:
Jacob the Liar (translation of Jakob der Lügner)
Organization:
Helen and Kurt Wolff Prize organizers
Result:
受賞
German Literary Prize (from the American Translators Association)
1989
Work:
Breakers (translation of Brandung)
Organization:
American Translators Association
Result:
受賞
Schlegel-Tieck Prize (shortlist)
1994
Work:
Narcissus and Goldmund (translation of Narziss und Goldmund)
Organization:
Society of Authors
Result:
ショートリスト
Awards & Nominations
Works
Major Works
Billiards at Half-Past Nine
1962 Novel (translation)A major translation of Heinrich Böll's novel, addressing postwar German society and moral questions.
postwar Germanyfamily historymorality
The Clown
1965 Novel (translation)Translation of Heinrich Böll's notable novel exploring the tensions between the individual and society.
individual vs societymoralityisolation
End of a Mission (Ende einer Dienstfahrt)
1968 Novel (translation)Her English translation of Heinrich Böll's novel; earned the Schlegel-Tieck Prize.
duty and the individualresponsibility
Group Portrait with Lady
1973 Novel (translation)Translation of Heinrich Böll's large-scale novel, conveying its multi-voiced portrait to English readers.
ensemble dramasocial criticism
The Train Was on Time
1973 Novel (translation)An English translation of Böll's novel dealing with war and memory.
warmemory
The Lost Honor of Katharina Blum
1975 Novel (translation)Translation addressing political pressure and media intrusion.
media critiquepolitics
And Never Said a Word (Und sagte kein einziges Wort)
1979 Novel (translation)Her English translation of Böll's novel; awarded the Goethe House P.E.N. Prize.
familysilence
A Soldier's Legacy (Das Vermächtnis)
1981 Novel (translation)Translation focusing on family and legacy in the postwar context.
familylegacypostwar
Jacob the Liar (Jakob der Lügner)
1983 Novel (translation)Translation of Jurek Becker's novel; earned the Helen and Kurt Wolff Translator’s Prize.
Holocausthope and fiction
The Invention of Curried Sausage
1995 Short story/essay (translation)An English translation of Uwe Timm's piece, a cultural anecdote in shorter form.
culturememory
Bibliography
- Billiards at Half-Past Nine (1962)
- The Clown (1965)
- End of a Mission (1968)
- Group Portrait with Lady (1973)
- The Train Was on Time (1973)
- The Lost Honor of Katharina Blum (1975)
- The Bread of Those Early Years (1976)
- And Never Said a Word (1979)
- A Soldier's Legacy (1981)
- Days of Greatness (Walter Kempowski) (1981)
- The Deception (Nicolas Born) (1983)
- Jacob the Liar (1997; translator prize)
- The Invention of Curried Sausage (1995)
- The Father of a Murderer (1994)
Adaptations
- Jacob the Liar (film adaptations exist)
Style & Themes
- Literary Style
- Faithful translations that preserve the tone and atmosphere of the originalFluid, reader-friendly English renditions
- Recurring Motifs
- depictions of postwar German societyrelations between the individual and societymoral dilemmas
Legacy
Leila Vennewitz was a leading translator who introduced German literature to the English-speaking world, notably the works of Heinrich Böll and other postwar German authors. She received multiple translation awards and was respected for the quality and fidelity of her translations.
Academic Societies
- American Translators Association (affiliated/recognized)
- Society of Authors (recognized)
Archives
- Indiana University (holds the Leila Vennewitz papers)
Trivia
- Born Leila Croot.
- Her brother was the surgeon Sir John Croot.
- Studied at the Sorbonne and spent extended periods in Germany and China.
- Spent the last ~50 years of her life in Vancouver, Canada.
- Her posthumous papers are held at Indiana University.
- She was married twice.