The winner of the 2023 Bernard Shaw Prize is SELTA member Saskia Vogel for her translation of Strega by Johanne Lykke Holm published by Lolli Editions. The winner will be honoured as part of the Society of Authors’ annual Translation Prizes celebratory event held at the British Library on 7^th February.

This year’s judges include SELTA member Nichola Smalley, author Amanda Svensson and Guardian journalist and former news editor at The Bookseller Alison Flood, who said of the winner:

‘Johanne Lykke Holm’s story of a girl who arrives to work in an empty hotel in a remote Alpine town is deep and dreamlike, hinting at and then revealing the dark underbelly of growing up as a young woman in a violent society. Saskia Vogel matches the mythlike flavour of Holm’s tale in her luminous translation of this eerie, disturbing novel.’

Nichola Smalley added:

‘Saskia Vogel’s translation of this astonishing novel is truly virtuosic – the text comes alive in all its uncanny beauty as the English language is made to bend supply and excitingly without ever losing its elasticity.’

The runner up was Jennifer Hayashida for her translation of Elin Cullhed’s Euphoria.

The prize is awarded for the best translation into English of a full length Swedish language work of literary merit and general interest, with the winner receiving £3000 and the runner up £1000. Named after the author and dramatist George Bernard Shaw, whose Nobel Prize went towards a foundation for ‘the promotion and diffusion of knowledge and appreciation of the literature and art of Sweden in the British Islands’, the prize was established in 1991 and is generously sponsored by the Anglo-Swedish Literary Foundation and the Embassy of Sweden in London. This marks the first occasion when the prize has been awarded biennially. The next award will be for 2025 (awarded in 2026).

This was the first time that SELTA member Saskia Vogel was shortlisted for the Bernard Shaw prize, while also being the first time Lolli Editions has featured on the shortlist for the prize. SELTA offers its wholehearted congratulations to Saskia on her achievement.

You can watch the full prize ceremony here. And finally well done to all the translators who were featured on the shortlist for the 2023 prize as announced last December.

Congratulations to Andy Turner, whose translation of Wild Boar by Hannah Lutz has appeared on the shortlist of titles to be published soon by Emma Press.

The independent publisher specialises in poetry, short fiction, essays and children’s books. They run regular calls for submission to decide what to publish and are open to translations as well as original works in English. You can read more about the submissions process, as well as specific information relating to the current round here.

Praise for Andy from the shortlist: “Not a word is wasted in the opening of this Swedish-language polyphonic short novel raising questions of memory, migration and the anthropocene. We also appreciated the translator’s clear vision of the novella and how it would fit within The Emma Press catalogue.”

The winner of the 2021 Bernard Shaw Prize is Sarah Death for her translation of Letters from Tove by Tove Jansson (edited by Boel Westin and Helen Svensson) and published by Sort of Books. The announcement of the winner was made as part of the Society of Authors’ annual Translation Prizes ceremony held online on 10^th February.

The judges’ citation noted: ‘This translation was the standout contribution from within the shortlist for the judges. It is beautifully illustrated and produced, balancing general reader interest with scholarly value throughout its footnotes and index.’

The two runners up were Amanda Doxtater for her translation of Karin Boye’s Crisis, and Sarah Death, whose translation of Chitambo was also featured on the shortlist. The judges noted that ‘Death and Doxtater’s translation prowess proved inseparable’.

The prize is awarded for the best translation into English of a full length Swedish language work of literary merit and general interest, with the winner receiving £2000. Named after the author and dramatist George Bernard Shaw, whose Nobel Prize went towards a foundation for ‘the promotion and diffusion of knowledge and appreciation of the literature and art of Sweden in the British Islands’, the prize was established in 1991 and is generously sponsored by the Anglo-Swedish Literary Foundation and the Embassy of Sweden in London. It has been awarded triennially since its inception, but will be awarded biennially from now, meaning that the next award will be for 2023 (awarded in 2024).

Sarah Death has won the Bernard Shaw prize on two previous occasions, in 2003 and 2006, and was commended in 2015. This is also a third win for the late Tove Jansson and her publisher Sort of Books. SELTA offers its wholehearted congratulations to Sarah on her achievement.

You can watch the full prize ceremony here. And finally well done to all the translators who were featured on the shortlist for the 2021 prize as announced last November.