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- The Prize recognises the best works of translated literary fiction from the EBRD’s regions
- Winning writer and translator share first prize of €20,000
- Deadline for submissions: 30 November 2020
The European Bank for Reconstruction and Development, the EBRD, is pleased to announce that the deadline for submissions to the prestigious EBRD Literature Prize 2021 has been extended to 30 November 2020.
The EBRD Literature Prize, developed by the EBRD in partnership with the British Council, reflects and recognises the rich cultures and creativity of our regions of operations, which include almost 40 countries stretching from Mongolia to Morocco, Estonia to Egypt. The Prize also aims to illustrate the importance of literary translation and to introduce the depth and variety of the voices and creativity from these regions to the English-speaking public and a wider global audience.
The EBRD Literature Prize 2021 will be awarded to both writer and translator for the best work of literary fiction (including collections of short stories by a single author) translated into English, written originally in any language – whether official or minority -- of the EBRD’s countries of operations and published for the first time by a European (including UK) publisher in in the period between 15 November 2019 - 31 December 2020.
Further details on eligibility and the submission form are here.
Now in its fourth year, the EBRD Literature Prize has gained increasing recognition, attention and visibility amongst the media, the publishing industry and the English-language public. The Prize not only rewards the writer who brings stories from diverse countries to life, but just as importantly it acknowledges the vital role that the translator plays in making these stories accessible to English-speaking audiences. The first prize, worth €20,000, will be equally divided between the winning author and translator. The two runner-up books will receive a prize of €4,000 each, again equally split between author and translator.
The submission deadline is Monday, 30 November 2020.
The EBRD Literature Prize 2021 is chaired by Toby Lichtig, writer, critic and Fiction and Politics Editor of the Times Literary Supplement, as well as former chair of judges for the 2018 JQ-Wingate Prize and a jury member of the 2019 EU Prize for Literature.
Toby is joined on the independent panel of judges for the EBRD Literature Prize 2021 by:
Anna Aslanyan, freelance journalist and translator from Russian; regular contributor to London Review of Books and the Times Literary Supplement (TLS); and author of the forthcoming popular history of translation, Dancing on Ropes: Translators and the Balance of History (Profile Books, May 2021).
Julian Evans, biographer, travel writer and translator from French and German; contributor to various publications including the Guardian, Granta, Conde Nast Traveller, and L’Atelier du Roman; author of Semi-Invisible Man, an authorised biography of the writer Norman Lewis; and a Royal Literary Fund Consultant Fellow.
Kirsty Lang, journalist and broadcaster; former foreign correspondent for the BBC and the Sunday Times; presented on Channel 4 News, BBC World, and the Radio 4 daily arts programme Front Row; served as Chair of the Orange Prize for Fiction; and was a Trustee of the British Council.
Read More about the Judges here
The shortlist will be announced in February 2021, followed by the announcement of the three finalists in April 2021. All three sets of finalists -- the writers and translators -- will be invited to participate in an awards ceremony (either virtually or at EBRD Headquarters in London), as well as related events in the UK, after that date.