The Vanguard of Literary Change

‘Translators are the vanguard of literary change: we need better recognition’, says the illustrious Daniel Hahn in a great article he has written for The Guardian, which you can read here. Last year, Daniel won €25,000 at the International Dublin Literary Award for his translation of A General Theory of Oblivion, by Angolan author José Eduardo Agualusa. With half of that money, and the backing of the Society of Authors’ Translators Association (TA) and The British Council, he funded an award designed to recognise a great literary translation debut published in the UK.

The first winner of the TA First Translation Prize is Bela Shayevich for her translation of Second-Hand Time by Svetlana Alexievich (Fitzcarraldo Editions), edited by Jacques Testard. Translator and editor share the £2,000 awarded (you can see all six shortlisted books in the picture below). And in this piece Daniel takes the chance to state some very clear facts.