Oxford-Weidenfeld Translation Prize

おっくすふぉーどわいでんふぇるどほんやくしょう

An annual prize of £2,000 for book-length literary translations into English from any living European language, established in 1999.

Translation awardLiterary awardInternational literary translation

Established: 1999
Organizer: Founded in honour of George Weidenfeld, Baron Weidenfeld, and supported by New College, The Queen's College, and St Anne's College, Oxford. Administered by Oxford Comparative Criticism and Translation (OCCT), based at St Anne's College.
Category: Research, Translation, and Scholarship
Selection Method: Open call
Target: Open
Frequency: 1 per year
Application Deadline: around January
Announcement Period: around June
Status: Active

Description

The Oxford-Weidenfeld Translation Prize is an annual literary award for book-length translations into English (from living European languages). The first edition was held in 1999, funded by Lord Weidenfeld, and supported by multiple Oxford colleges such as New College, The Queen's College, and St Anne's College. Hosted by St Anne's College (Oxford). The shortlist is typically announced in mid-May each year. The winning work is selected by a specialist judging committee.

Prize

Main Prize: Winning the Oxford-Weidenfeld Translation Prize (specific prize amount not stated in the text)

Increased recognition and promotional benefits from winning
Introduction of the winner and presentation at the awards ceremony

Selection

Selection Process

Stage	Judges	Pass Rate	Announcement
Longlist selection	Judging committee (panel of translators, scholars, etc.)	—	Announced on official website or organizer's SNS (longlist varies by year)
Shortlist selection	Judging committee (translation experts and scholars)	—	Announced on official website or SNS (e.g., shortlist in mid-May)
Winner selection	Final selection by the judging committee	—	Announced on official website, OCCT blog, SNS, etc. (annual)

Longlist selection

Judges Judging committee (panel of translators, scholars, etc.)

Announcement Announced on official website or organizer's SNS (longlist varies by year)

Shortlist selection

Judges Judging committee (translation experts and scholars)

Announcement Announced on official website or SNS (e.g., shortlist in mid-May)

Winner selection

Judges Final selection by the judging committee

Announcement Announced on official website, OCCT blog, SNS, etc. (annual)

Criteria

Must be a translation into English (book-length)
Original language must be a living European language
Literary and linguistic quality of the translation (style, tone, accuracy, and creativity)
Reproduction of the original work's literary value and transmissibility to readers

Application Tips

Dos

Confirm eligibility requirements in advance (book-length translation into English, target language is a living European language)
Submit with clear publisher and publication information, as well as copyright and rights details
Carefully revise the translation's style, readability, and relationship to the original work
Perform thorough proofreading to demonstrate consistency and quality as a translation

Don''ts

Submit only unpublished excerpts (entries must be book-length translations)
Submit with unclear rights processing or publication information
Leave proofreading or style issues unaddressed

From Judges

Emphasis on efforts to reproduce the original's tone and rhythm in English
Aim to balance the naturalness of the translation (readability for English readers) with the original's atmosphere
Use minimal footnotes or annotations, and devise ways to convey meaning through the translation itself

Related Awards

International Booker Prize (International Booker Prize / translation award)
PEN Translation Prize
Various national translation awards (e.g., TA First Translation Prize, ALTA-related awards)