They've announced the winner of the 2011 Austrian Cultural Forum Translation Prize -- and it is Damion Searls, for her not all her (on/with Robert Walser), his translation of Nobel laureate Elfriede Jelinek's er nicht als er (zu, mit Robert Walser).
The award will be presented 9 January 2012 at the Austrian Cultural Forum New York, where Searls will receive his Swarovski crystal trophy; in addition, a "grant of €3,000 will be disbursed upon the formal acceptance of the manuscript by a publisher".
I was one of the judges for this award, and among several very impressive entries this unusual was one was nevertheless a standout. Homage, drama, personal essay, re-interpretation, it's a fascinating little piece; American audiences (and Tim Parks), who seem to have had their difficulties with Jelinek, will probably be particularly surprised.
See also Damion Searls' official site (and his impressive translation credits), as well as the (not too informative) Rowohlt Theaterverlag foreign rights page for er nicht als er (zu, mit Robert Walser).
The award will be presented 9 January 2012 at the Austrian Cultural Forum New York, where Searls will receive his Swarovski crystal trophy; in addition, a "grant of €3,000 will be disbursed upon the formal acceptance of the manuscript by a publisher".
I was one of the judges for this award, and among several very impressive entries this unusual was one was nevertheless a standout. Homage, drama, personal essay, re-interpretation, it's a fascinating little piece; American audiences (and Tim Parks), who seem to have had their difficulties with Jelinek, will probably be particularly surprised.
See also Damion Searls' official site (and his impressive translation credits), as well as the (not too informative) Rowohlt Theaterverlag foreign rights page for er nicht als er (zu, mit Robert Walser).