Saif Ghobash–Banipal Prize for Arabic Literary Translation
さいふ・ごばっしゅ-ばにぱるしょう（あらびあぶんがくえいやくしょう）
Annual translation award given to published English translations of long Arabic literary works.
- Established
- 2006
- Organizer
- Founded by Banipal Trust for Arab Literature (Banipal), operated and managed by The Society of Authors (UK)
- Category
- Research, Translation, and Scholarship
- Selection Method
- Open call
- Target
- Open
- Frequency
- 1 per year
- Application Deadline
- around March
- Announcement Period
- around January
- Status
- Active
Description
The Saif Ghobash–Banipal Prize (Banipal Prize) is an annual award given to translators (or multiple translators) who have translated and published long literary works written in Arabic into English. Established in 2006 by the literary magazine Banipal (Banipal Trust for Arab Literature), it aims to promote contemporary Arab literature through English translations. Operations are managed by The Society of Authors (UK), with sponsorship from the Ghobash family (Lioudmila Ghobash, Saeed Saif Ghobash, Maysoune Saif Ghobash) in memory of Saif Ghobash. Selection is conducted by a judging panel formed each year, typically following the process of longlist → shortlist → winner announcement.
Prize
- Main Prize
- Award to the translator (recognition and prize money). Details vary by year; refer to official announcements.
Selection
Selection Process
| Stage | Judges | Pass Rate | Announcement |
|---|---|---|---|
| Longlist | Judging panel announced each year (refer to official announcements for each year) | — | Longlist published in some years. Announcement timing varies by year (e.g., autumn in some years). |
| Shortlist | Same as above (judging panel composed each year) | — | Usually officially announced from late November to early December (varies by year). |
| Winner | The judging panel that selected the shortlist decides the winner (varies by year) | — | Winners are usually announced at the beginning of the year (January). |
Criteria
- Must be published English translations of long Arabic literary works
- Literary quality of the translation, accuracy and naturalness of language expression
- Conveying the literary and cultural value of the original to English readers
Application Tips
Dos
- 応募対象が「アラビア語原作の長篇文学作品の英訳（出版済）」であることを確認する。
- 出版情報（出版社、刊行年、ISBNなど）を明記する。
- 翻訳の文学性・表現の自然さを重視して校正・推敲する。
- 公式サイトの応募要項・締切を事前に確認し、必要書類を揃えて期限内に提出する。
Don''ts
- 未出版の翻訳を応募しない（出版済であることが必須）。
- 提出書類の不備や誤記を放置しない。
- 原文の出典や出版情報を隠す・誤記することは避ける。
From Judges
- 翻訳は原文の文体やリズムを英語で如何に再現するかが重要である。
- 直訳に偏らず、英語読者にとって自然かつ原作のニュアンスを伝える表現を探すこと。
- 注釈や訳注が必要な文化的固有項目は明確に示すと審査上の理解が深まる。
Related Awards
- Scott Moncrieff Prize
- Society of Authors translation awards (other translation awards)
- International literary translation awards (various)