John Dryden Translation Competition
John Dryden
Introduction
The John Dryden Translation Competition is sponsored by the British Comparative Literature Association and the British Centre for Literary Translation. Prizes are awarded for the best unpublished literary translations from any language into English, subject to finding a reader (entrance fee will be refunded if no reader is available). Literary translation includes poetry, prose, or drama from any period. The competition is currently hosted by the School of Languages, Cultures and Societies at the University of Leeds.
First prize: £400; second prize: £250; third prize: £150; other entries may receive commendations.
All three prizes also include one year’s BCLA membership.
The John Dryden Translation Competition 2023 – 2024 is now open. The competition deadline is 5 February 2024.
Your John Dryden Translation Competition Entry
A Call For Entries
The British Comparative Literature Association organises a translation competition in memory of the first British poet laureate John Dryden (1631–1700), who was a literary critic, translator, and playwright as well as a poet. Sponsored jointly with the British Centre for Literary Translation at the University of East Anglia, the John Dryden Translation Competition awards prizes for unpublished literary translations from any language into English. Literary translation includes poetry, prose, or drama from any period.
John Dryden Competition Panel
The Judges
Judges will be selected from the following, and will be assisted by expert bilingual readers specialising in the literatures for which entries are received.
Dr Jacob Blakesley
Associate professor in comparative literature and literary translation
Robert Chandler
Translator
This year's winners
Winners of the 2022-23 John Dryden Translation Competition
The British Comparative Literature Association would like to announce the winners of the 2022-2023 BCLA/BCLT John Dryden Translation Competition, chosen from over 100 entries and 29 different languages.
Many thanks to everyone who entered the competition.
First Place
Antonella Lettieri
for The War of the Murazzi translated from Enrico Remmert’s Italian text La guerra dei Murazzi.
Second Place
Naomi Mottram
for her translation from Sofia Sinitskaia’s Russian text Mitrofanushka Durasov.
Third Place
David McCallam
for “No Words but Word-Dough” and “The Feeling” translated from Christophe Tarkos’s French text ‘Il y a pâte-mot’ and ‘Le sentiment’.
On behalf of the organisers and judges, we would like to welcome entrants to the competition. The deadline for next year’s competition will be announced at a later date.
