TA First Translation Prize

The TA First Translation Prize is an annual prize for a debut literary translation into English published in the UK and Ireland. The winner is awarded £3,000 and a runner-up is awarded £1,000. The Prize is shared between the translator and their editor.

It was established in 2017 and generously endowed by Daniel Hahn, with support from the British Council.

‘So, it’s recognising new talent in the translation profession, but also those editors who take a chance on a debut and then work with them to make them better – a role we all depend on, but don’t acknowledge often enough.’

Daniel Hahn

The 2023 TA First Translation Prize is now open for submissions

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The 2022 TA First Translation Prize Winner and Runner-Up

Runners-Up:
Jo Heinrich and editor Gesche Ipsen for a translation of Marzahn, Mon Amour by Katja Oskamp (Peirene Press) Translated from German.
Abigail Wender and editor Katy Derbyshire for a translation of The Bureau of Past Management by Iris Hanika (V&Q Books) Translated from German.

For any queries relating to the prize please contact [email protected]

The TA First Translation Prize will close for submissions on 31 March 2023

Publication date in English, in the UK or Ireland (or widely distributed) – between 1 April 2022 and 31 March 2023.
Prize does not accept poetry submissions
Must be the first solo book-length translation by the translator (co-translators are not eligible)
No self-published or e-book only titles

For any queries relating to the prize please contact [email protected]

2022 (presented in 2023)

Winner: Marta Dziurosz and editors Zeljka Marosevic and Sophie Missing for a translation of The Things I Didn’t Throw Out by Marcin Wicha (Daunt Books Publishing) Translated from Polish.
Runner Up: Jo Heinrich and editor Gesche Ipsen for a translation of Marzahn, Mon Amour by Katja Oskamp (Peirene Press) Translated from German.
Shortlisted:
Bethlehem Attfield and editor David Henningham for a translation of The Lost Spell by Yismake Worku (Henningham Family Press) Translated from Amharic.
Elena Pala and editor Federico Andornino for a translation of The Hummingbird by Sandro Veronesi (Weidenfeld and Nicolson, Orion) Translated from Italian.
Kat Storace and editor Jen Calleja for a translation of what will it take for me to leave by Loranne Vella (Praspar Press) Translated from Maltese.
Abigail Wender and editor Katy Derbyshire for a translation of The Bureau of Past Management by Iris Hanika (V&Q Books) Translated from German.

2021 (presented in 2022)

Winner: Jackie Smith and editor Bill Swainson for a translation of An Inventory of Losses by Judith Schalansky. (MacLehose Press)
Runner Up: Padma Viswanathan and editor Edwin Frank for a translation of São Bernardo by Graciliano Ramos. (New York Review Books)
Shortlisted: Jennifer Russell and editor Denise Rose Hansen for a translation of Marble by Amalie Smith. (Lolli Editions)
Lucy Rand and editor Sophie Orme for a translation of The Phone Box at the Edge of the World by Sophie Orme (Bonnier Books UK Ltd)
Rahul Bery and editor Federico Andornino for a translation of Rolling Fields by David Trueba. (Weidenfeld & Nicolson, Orion Publishing Group)
Simon Leser and editor Andrew Hsiao for a translation of Tomorrow They Won’t Dare to Murder Us by Joseph Andras. (Verso Books)

2020 (presented in 2021)

Winner: Nicholas Glastonbury and editor Saba Ahmed for a translation of Every Fire You Tend by Sema Kaygusuz (Tilted Axis Press). Translated from Turkish.
Runner-up: Nicholas Royle and editor Tim Shearer for a translation of Pharricide by Vincent de Swarte (Confingo Publishing). Translated from French.
Shortlisted: Laura Francis and editor Ka Bradley for a translation of The Collection by Nina Leger (Granta Books). Translated from French.
Annie McDermott and editor Lizzie Davis for a translation of Empty Words by Mario Levrero (And Other Stories). Translated from Spanish.
Ruth Diver and editor Elise Williams for a translation of The Little Girl on the Ice Floe by Adélaïde Bon (MacLehose Press). Translated from French.
Owen Good and editor Bishan Samaddar for a translation of Pixel by Krisztina Tóth (Seagull Books). Translated from Hungarian.

2019 (presented in 2020)

Winner: Morgan Giles for a translation of Tokyo Ueno Station edited by Saba Ahmed and originally written by Yu Miri in Japanese (Tilted Axis Press)
Runner-up: Charlotte Whittle for a translation of People in the Room edited by Bella Bosworth and originally written by Norah Langé in Spanish (And Other Stories)
Shortlisted: Sarah Booker for a translation of The Iliac Crest edited by Lauren Rosemary Hook and originally written by Cristina Rivera Garza in Spanish (And Other Stories)
Natascha Bruce for a translation of Lonely Face edited by Jeremy Tiang and originally written by Yeng Pway Ngon in Chinese (Balestier Press)
Ellen Jones for a translation of Trout, Belly Up edited by Fionn Petch and Carolina Orloff and originally written by Rodrigo Fuentes in Spanish (Charco Press)
William Spence for a translation of The Promise: Love and Loss in Modern China edited by Tomasz Hoskins and originally written by XinRan in Mandarin (I.B. Tauris)

2018 (presented in 2019)

Winner: Janet Hong for her translation of The Impossible Fairytale edited by Ethan Nosowsky and originally written by Han Yujoo in Korean (Tilted Axis Press)
Shortlistees:
Gini Alhadeff for her translation of I Am the Brother of XX edited by Barbara Epler and originally written by Fleur Jaeggy in Italian (And Other Stories)
Fionn Petch for his translation of Fireflies edited by Annie McDermott and originally written by Luis Sagasti in Spanish (Charco Press)
Alex Valente for his translation of Can You Hear Me? edited by Federico Andornino and originally written by Elena Varvello in Italian (Two Roads Books)

2017 (presented in 2018)

Winner: Bela Shayevich for her translation of Second-hand Time edited by Jacques Testard and originally written by Svetlana Alexievich in Russian (Fitzcarraldo Editions)
Shortlistees:
Jeffrey Zuckerman for his translation of Eve Out of Her Ruins, edited by Cécile Menon and Angeline Rothermundt and originally written by Ananda Devi in French (Les Fugitives)
Francesca Barrie for her translation of Notes on a Thesis, edited by Claire Bullock and originally written by Tiphanie Rivière in French (Jonathan Cape)
Eliza Marciniak for her translation of Swallowing Mercury, edited by Max Porter and Ka Bradley and originally written by Wioletta Greg in Polish (Portobello Books)
Mui Poopoksakul for her translation of The Sad Part Was, edited by Deborah Smith and originally written by Prabda Yoon in Thai (Tilted Axis Press)
Elisabeth Jaquette for her translation of The Queue, edited by Sal Robinson and Taylor Sperry and originally written by Basma Abdel Aziz in Arabic (Melville House)

2023

Saba Ahmed
It was a delight to encounter such a rich variety of compelling narratives, often pushing formal boundaries, whether of the family saga, picaresque novel or memoir, and demanding much flexibility and patience from their translators. Our shortlisted translations offer expansive insights into personal testimony and collective memory, and are anchored by a vivid sense of place and community.

Ka Bradley
The vast palette of emotion, style and story in this year’s shortlist is testament to some fantastically courageous publishing and a rich range of new talent. Spiky, sensual short stories sit alongside a magisterial family saga and a raucous, witty novel; translation styles varied from the forensically clean to the dazzlingly playful. All these books were remarkable for their emotional veracity and committed considerations of community, personal and societal responsibility, and family.