Six translators feature on the shortlist for the 2023 Bernard Shaw Prize announced today by the Society of Authors, among which are an impressive four  SELTA members (Kira Josefsson, Alice Menzies, Alice E. Olsson, Saskia Vogel). The prize is awarded for translations into English of full-length Swedish-language works of literary merit and general interest. Having previously been triennial, this is the first time that the prize has been awarded on a biennial basis. The winning translator will receive a cash prize of £3,000, while the runner-up will receive £1,000.

This year’s judges include SELTA member Nichola Smalley, whose translation of fellow judge Amanda Svensson’s ‘A System so Magnificent it is Blinding’ (Scribe) was shortlisted for both the 2023 Booker International Prize and the 2023 Warwick Prize. They are joined on the judging panel by  the Guardian journalist and former news editor at The Bookseller Alison Flood. In the words of Svensson:

‘From the lyrical to the matter-of-fact, these translators have captured the essence of each of their authors tone, ambition, quirks and strengths with accuracy and verve. This shortlist is a testament not only to the power of great literature, but also the power of great translation.’

Smalley added:

‘It was truly a delight to put together this shortlist, and with so little discord among the judges about what made the list and why. We were looking for brilliant translations that captured the rhythm and voice of their source texts, and all the books on the shortlist stand out for doing this in one way or another. As well as novel translations that consistently upheld the atmosphere and experience of reading the Swedish equivalents, we loved the energy in the short story collection and nonfiction book translations we selected. A wonderful selection of books that it was a pleasure to read and celebrate.’

The shortlist in full:

– Jennifer Hayashida for a translation of Euphoria by Elin Cullhed (Canongate Books)
– Kira Josefsson for a translation of The Trio by Johanna Hedman (Hamish Hamilton)
– John Litell for a translation of Nordic Fauna by Andrea Lundgren (Peirene Press)
– Alice Menzies for a translation of We Know You Remember by Tove Alsterdal (Faber and Faber)
– Alice E. Olsson for a translation of The Herd by Johan Anderberg (Scribe UK)
– Saskia Vogel for a translation of Strega by Johanne Lykke Holm (Lolli Editions)

The winner and runner-up will be announced at a ceremony at the British Library on 7 February 2024. Congratulations to all the shortlisted translators.

Congratulations to SELTA member Nicky Smalley who has been longlisted for the 2023 Warwick Prize for Women in Translation for her translation of Amanda Svensson’s A System So Magnificent It Is Blinding published by Scribe. The title has gained a lot of positive attention, having previously longlisted for the International Booker Prize.

“In Amanda Svensson’s novel A System So Magnificent It Is Blinding, a shocking secret forces three siblings to reevaluate their places in their family and the world … A System So Magnificent It Is Blinding is a dynamic novel about methods of coping in a world where nothing is certain.” — Foreword Reviews

Michael Gallagher’s translation of Femicide by Pascal Engman has been announced as the winner of this year’s Petrona Award. From the judges:

“Continuing in the tradition of fellow Swedish authors Sjöwall and Wahlöö, and Henning Mankell, Pascal Engman uses his writing to comment on societal values making FEMICIDE an interesting, fictional take on the multifaceted topic of violence against women. The book stood out to all the Petrona judges for several reasons. The way FEMICIDE opens the reader’s eyes to the steadily increasing threat of the incel movement and what makes these men tick was felt by all the judges… All the judges felt this book offered something creatively original that captured the zeitgeist of the early twenty-first century and it is a deserved winner”

Engman will receive a trophy, and both author and translator will receive a cash prize.

Read full details, including comments by the Pascal Engman, Michael Gallagher, and Legend Press Commissioning Editor Cari Rosen here.

Congratulations to SELTA member Deborah Bragan-Turner who is on the longlist for the 2023 National Translation Award in Prose for her translation of The Antarctica of Love by Sara Stridsberg published in the US by Farrar, Straus and Giroux.

From the longlist: “To read The Antarctica of Love is to feel at the mercy of emotion: of sorrow, longing, horror, hopelessness, awe at the astonishing beauty of the writing. A nameless murdered woman lingers in this world, an unwilling witness to the mostly predictable events that occur after her death. As she attempts to untether herself, and to quiet the voices that still “[crawl] like insects in the place where [her] heart once was,” she recounts her past—in particular her experiences with heroin addiction—in impossibly visceral terms. Deborah Bragan-Turner renders Stridsberg’s prose in language so gorgeous it is practically iridescent.”

Congratulations to four SELTA members who feature on the 2023 Petrona Award longlist which has been announced today. The twelve books include titles from Denmark, Norway, Finland, Iceland and even Switzerland – with Swedish publications taking the lion’s share of entries at five out of twelve.

Congratulations to SELTA member Michael Gallagher whose translation of Femicide by Pascal Engman (published by Legend Press) is on the longlist for the 2023 Crime Writers’ Association Dagger for Crime Fiction in Translation.

Previously known as the CWA International Dagger, the award showcases a broad range of works within the crime genre, including thrillers, suspense novels and spy fiction.

Congratulations Michael!

Our congratulations go to Nichola Smalley, who has appeared on the International Booker Prize longlist for the second time! Her translation of Amanda Svensson’s A System So Magnificent It Is Blinding (Scribe UK 2022) is one of thirteen titles to make the list. Read more here.

Global in scope…playfully experimental…Svensson’s riddling magnum opus is eerily enjoyable. Suzy Feay in The Guardian.

Deborah Bragan-Turner’s translation of Sara Stridsberg’s The Antarctica of Love has been longlisted for the 2023 Dublin Literary Award. Congratulations Deborah!

The annual award goes to a novel written in or translated into English and is administered by Dublin City Libraries, with nominations coming in from libraries all over the world. The 2023 longlist features books nominated by 84 libraries from 31 countries (including 29 translations). The shortlist will be revealed on 28th March, with the winner being announced by Lord Mayor of Dublin, Cllr. Caroline Conroy, on 25th May 2023, as part of the International Literature Festival Dublin, which, like the prize, is also funded by Dublin City Council.

In the case of the winner being a translated book, the €100,000 prize is split between author and translator.

In the words of nominating library Bibliothèque Municipale de Reims in France: “Carried by a powerful and poetic writing, this book sublimates the unbearable.”

You can read more about the nomination here.

This year in its tenth edition, The Petrona Award celebrates the best Scandinavian crime novel of the year.

The judges said of this year’s winner: “Set in the fictional yet completely credible location of Doggerland, this three-islands archipelago in the North Sea reflects Scandinavian, North European and British heritages. Doggerland is shaped and influenced by its geographical position; the atmospheric setting, akin to the wind- and history-swept Faroe and Shetland Islands, and Nordic climes, enhances the suspenseful and intriguing plot of a police procedural that combines detailed observations and thoughts on the human condition.”

Congratulations Agnes and Maria, who both receive prizes.