Giramondo launches Poetry in Translation Prize
Giramondo Publishing, Fitzcarraldo Editions and New Directions have launched the Poetry in Translation Prize, a new biennial award for an outstanding poetry collection translated into English.
The Poetry in Translation Prize will be awarded for the first time in January 2026, for living poets from around the world, writing in any language other than English. The winning entry will receive an advance of $5,000, to be shared equally between poet and translator, and simultaneous publication in Australia and Aotearoa New Zealand with Giramondo, North America with New Directions, and the UK and Ireland with Fitzcarraldo Editions.
According to the organisers, ‘the Poetry in Translation Prize will run alongside the Novel Prize‘, which was launched by Giramondo, Fitzcarraldo Editions, and New Directions in 2020.
Giramondo associate publisher Nick Tapper said, ‘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.’
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.’
New Directions editor-at-large Jeffrey Yang said: ‘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 for the inaugural prize will open 15 July, with a shortlist announced in late 2025. The simultaneous publication of the winner is planned for 2027.
More information about the prize is available on the Giramondo website.
Category: Awards Local news
