Fitzcarraldo Editions, Giramondo Publishing and New Directions are pleased to announce the Poetry in Translation Prize, a new biennial award for an outstanding poetry collection translated into English.
Opening to submissions on 15 July, the Poetry in Translation Prize is open to living poets from around the world, writing in any language other than English. The winners will receive an advance of $5,000, to be shared equally between poet and translator, followed by simultaneous publication in North America with New Directions, in the UK and Ireland with Fitzcarraldo Editions, and in Australia and New Zealand with Giramondo.
The Poetry in Translation Prize will run alongside the Novel Prize, a biennial award for a book-length work of literary fiction written in English by published and unpublished writers around the world, launched by Fitzcarraldo Editions, Giramondo and New Directions in 2020. Since 2016, Fitzcarraldo Editions has also run an annual Essay Prize for unpublished authors. Previous winners of these prizes include Jessica Au, Anne de Marcken, Polly Barton and Marianne Brooker.
Fitzcarraldo Editions poetry editor Rachael Allen said: ‘Using the model of the already established Novel and Essay prizes, we wanted to open our doors to new poetry in translation to give space and gain exposure to poetries we may not be aware of. There is no other prize like this that we know, and we’re excited to work together to offer this opportunity to translators and poets. It will be a privilege to encounter new poetry in this way.’
Nick Tapper, associate publisher at Giramondo, commented: ‘We are really pleased to join with our friends at Fitzcarraldo Editions and New Directions in this unique award, which brings poetry from around the world into English, and foregrounds the essential role of translation in our literature. Its global outlook will bring new readers to poets whose work deserves wide and sustained attention.’
Jeffrey Yang, editor-at-large at New Directions, added: ‘New Directions is super excited to make the leap from novel to poetry prize with Fitzcarraldo and Giramondo in this historic venture, with the hope of highlighting new work by living poets from around the world through the wondrous transformations of passionate translators.’
Submissions will be open from 15 July to 15 August, with Fitzcarraldo Editions, Giramondo and New Directions reading all submissions concurrently. A shortlist will be announced in late 2025, with the winner announced in January 2026 and publication scheduled for 2027.