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Ross Benjamin

ロス・ベンジャミン

Ross Benjamin

Profile

Gender
Male
Nationality
United States
Languages
English, German
Residence History
Nyack, New York, USA

Career

Occupations
Translator, Writer, Literary critic

Education

Vassar College
Country: United States

Awards

Guggenheim Fellowship
2015
Organization: John Simon Guggenheim Memorial Foundation
Result: 受賞
Helen and Kurt Wolff Translator's Prize
Work: Speak, Nabokov
Organization: Helen and Kurt Wolff Translator's Prize committee
Result: 受賞
Schlegel-Tieck Prize (commendation)
Work: Funeral for a Dog
Organization: Society of Authors
Result: 選考委員からの特別表彰（commendation）
International Booker Prize (shortlisted)
2020
Work: Tyll (translation of Daniel Kehlmann)
Organization: International Booker Prize
Result: 最終候補（shortlisted）

Awards & Nominations

Works

Major Works

Speak, Nabokov

Translation (German to English)

A translation of Michael Maar's work examining Nabokov; introduced Maar's critical perspective to English readers.

literary criticismNabokov studieslanguage and interpretation

Funeral for a Dog

Translation (German to English)

An English translation of Thomas Pletzinger's work, a story blending humor and strange events.

humorcontemporary fiction

Tyll

2017 Historical fiction / Translation

Ross Benjamin's translation of Daniel Kehlmann's novel blending European folklore and historical settings; widely praised by English-language critics.

folklorehistoryhumorstorytelling and identity

You Should Have Left

Translation (German to English)

Translation of Daniel Kehlmann's novella; contains elements of psychological suspense.

suspensepsychological themes

The Diaries of Franz Kafka

Translation (German to English) / Diaries

An English translation of Franz Kafka's diaries, presenting the author's private thoughts and daily notes to English-speaking readers.

autobiographical elementsreflectionmodernism

Hyperion

Translation (German to English) / Classic

A translation of Friedrich Hölderlin's work, rendering classical poetic and novelistic elements into English.

classical literaturepoetic language

The Frequencies

Translation (German to English) / Contemporary literature

An English translation of Clemens J. Setz's work, a contemporary novel featuring experimental narration and language play.

experimental literaturelanguage play

The Director

Translation (German to English)

A translation of another Daniel Kehlmann work, featuring the author's characteristic humor and insight.

humorsatire of contemporary society

Bibliography

  • Speak, Nabokov
  • Funeral for a Dog
  • Hyperion
  • Close to Jedenew
  • Job: The Story of a Simple Man
  • The Frequencies
  • And Then Life Happens: A Memoir
  • The Cusanus Game
  • The Lone Assassin
  • When I Fell from the Sky
  • War Games: A History of War on Paper
  • We Are All Stardust
  • Indigo
  • You Should Have Left
  • Tyll
  • The Diaries of Franz Kafka
  • The Director

Translations of Works

  • Tyll
  • You Should Have Left
  • The Diaries of Franz Kafka

Style & Themes

Literary Style
A style aiming at faithful and clear English renderingsTranslation techniques that preserve humor and narrative rhythm
Recurring Motifs
humorlanguage playhistorical material and folklore elementspreserving the author's voice

Legacy

Regarded as a leading translator of contemporary German literature into English. His translation of Tyll received high praise; The Times described him as a "comic virtuoso."

Quotes

  • The Times referred to Benjamin as a "comic virtuoso."
    Source: The Times (London) review/article

Trivia

  • He is the son of attorney Jeff Benjamin and LCSW Betsy Benjamin.
  • Selected as a Guggenheim Fellow in 2015.
  • Former Fulbright scholar.
  • Has written for the Times Literary Supplement and The Nation.
  • Lives in Nyack, New York.