PEN Translation Prize
ぺんほんやくしょう
Annual translation prize awarded by PEN America for outstanding book translations into English.
Translation awardLiteratureEnglish translation
- Established
- 1963
- Organizer
- PEN America (formerly PEN American Center). Historically, there were periods of cooperation and sponsorship by Book of the Month Club
- Category
- Research, Translation, and Scholarship
- Selection Method
- Open call
- Target
- Open
- Frequency
- 1 per year
- Announcement Period
- around March
- Status
- Active
Description
The PEN Translation Prize (formerly PEN/Book-of-the-Month Club Translation Prize) is an annual award established in 1963, given by PEN America to book translations into English published in the US in the relevant year. It evaluates the literary excellence of the translation, awarding the winner $3,000 in cash. It is regarded as one of the earliest awards honoring translators in the United States. It is a separate award from the PEN Award for Poetry in Translation and is operated as one of PEN's many literary awards.
Prize
- Main Prize
- Cash prize awarded to the translator (USD $3,000)
- Cash Prize
- 3,000 USD
Selection
Selection Process
| Stage | Judges | Pass Rate | Announcement |
|---|---|---|---|
| Application reception and eligibility check | PEN America staff (confirms eligibility such as whether the submitted work was published in the US in the target year) | — | — |
| First round selection (shortlist creation) | Selection committee (committee of translation experts appointed by PEN) | — | — |
| Final selection (winner determination) | Discussion and voting by the selection committee (members differ each year) | — | Announced via PEN America's press release, website, and awards ceremony (usually around February to March) |
Application reception and eligibility check
Judges
PEN America staff (confirms eligibility such as whether the submitted work was published in the US in the target year)
First round selection (shortlist creation)
Judges
Selection committee (committee of translation experts appointed by PEN)
Final selection (winner determination)
Judges
Discussion and voting by the selection committee (members differ each year)
Announcement
Announced via PEN America's press release, website, and awards ceremony (usually around February to March)
Criteria
- Literary excellence of the translation (quality of style and expression)
- Fidelity to the original work and creative recreation
- Naturalness and readability in English
- Must be a book published in the US in the relevant year
Application Tips
Dos
- 米国で当該年に刊行された書籍版の翻訳を提出する（出版情報を明記）
- 翻訳箇所の最終校正を行い、文体と誤字脱字をチェックする
- 翻訳者プロフィールや翻訳方針（訳注など）を添えて背景を説明する
- 出版社や刊行情報、ISBNなどの必要情報を整えて提出する
Don''ts
- 未完の草稿や未刊行の原稿を提出しない
- 出典や刊行情報を不完全に記載しない
- 原文や訳権の問題が解決していない作品を提出しない
From Judges
- 翻訳の文学性（文体・音色・創造性）を重視する
- 原文への理解と英語での再現を両立させることが評価される
- 出版社情報や刊行年を明確に示し、読み手に対する配慮を忘れないこと
Related Awards
- PEN/Heim Translation Fund Grants
- PEN Award for Poetry in Translation
- PEN America Literary Awards (other PEN awards)
Official Resources
https://pen.org/literary-award/pen-translation-prize-3000/Past Winners
Martin Aitken
Winner
Len Rix
Winner
Tess Lewis
Winner
Katrina Dodson
Winner
Denise Newman
Winner
Joanne Turnbull
Winner
Nikolai Formozov
Winner
Donald O. White
Winner
Bill Johnston
Winner
Ibrahim Muhawi
Winner
Natasha Wimmer
Winner
Sandra Smith
Winner
Philip Gabriel
Winner
Tim Wilkinson
Winner
R. W. Flint
Winner
Richard Pevear
Winner
Larissa Volokhonsky
Winner
Tiina Nunnally
Winner
Burton Watson
Winner
John E. Woods
Winner
Charles Simic
Winner
Adrienne Foulke
Winner
Gregory Rabassa
Winner
Richard Howard
Winner
Helen R. Lane
Winner
Hardie St. Martin
Winner
Leonard Mades
Winner