PEN/Ralph Manheim Medal for Translation

ぺん/らるふ・まんはいむほんやくめだる

A medal awarded by PEN America every three years to honor a translator's lifetime commitment to excellence. Since 2021, the medal is accompanied by a $1,000 cash purse.

TranslationLifetime AchievementLiterary award

Established: 1982
Organizer: PEN America
Category: Research, Translation, and Scholarship
Selection Method: Recommendation
Target: Professional
Frequency: Once every 3 years
Status: Active

Description

Named after Ralph Manheim, this award is presented by PEN America (the U.S. branch of International PEN) every three years to translators who have "demonstrated a commitment to excellence through their work." It is a medal honoring lifetime achievement in the field of literary translation, first awarded in 1982 to Gregory Rabassa. It is one of PEN's multiple awards and is positioned as a prestigious translation award.

Prize

Main Prize: Medal (recognizing lifetime achievement in the field of translation)

Selection

Selection Process

Stage	Judges	Pass Rate	Announcement
Nomination/Candidate Selection	PEN America committee or related experts (detailed nomination procedures are not publicly available)	—	Candidates selected internally
Final Selection/Winner Determination	PEN America Selection Committee	—	Official announcement by PEN America (official website or press releases)

Nomination/Candidate Selection

Judges PEN America committee or related experts (detailed nomination procedures are not publicly available)

Announcement Candidates selected internally

Final Selection/Winner Determination

Judges PEN America Selection Committee

Announcement Official announcement by PEN America (official website or press releases)

Criteria

Excellence across the entire body of translation work over a lifetime (the body of his or her work)
Translation quality (balancing fidelity to the original and expressiveness)
Cultural and academic contributions through translation
Consistency and influence of translation activities

Application Tips

Dos

Build a long-term track record of high-quality translation achievements (publish multiple important translated books)
Maintain and improve translation quality, balancing fidelity to the original and readability for readers
Organize and record achievements (publication list, award history, public evaluations)
Build relationships with the translation community and publishers to increase industry recognition