Announcement of the 2009 winner
At a ceremony at the English speaking Union on 20 January Sarah Ardizzone won the Marsh Award for Children’s Literature in translation 2009, for Toby Alone by Daniel Pennac.
There was great competition from some exceptionally talented authors and translators, including Henning Mankell’s book When the Snow Fell and Francesco D’Adamo’s book My brother Johnny.
The Marsh Award for Children’s Literature in Translation has been running since 1996, and is given biennially.
It was designed to spotlight the diversity of translated fiction for young readers and to bring a richness to children’s books into the English language from places way beyond our own lives and in cultures and countries we may never have the chance to visit.
Our feelings at Dolphin are that is just great to value books and cultures in countries that we have little experience of. Stories still give everyone a chance to experience something else, to be with that character in the story, feel what its like and learn that you’re not alone.
Congratulations to Sarah and to the other short listed translators.
This is the shortlist, hope you get to read at least one, I’m going to start with When the Snow Fell.
My Brother Johnny by Francesco D’Adamo translated from Italian by Sian Williams (Aurora Metro Press, 2007) Amazon link
When the Snow Fell by Henning Mankell translated from Swedish by Laurie Thompson (Andersen Press, 2007) Amazon link
Letters from Alain by Enrique Perez Diaz translated from Spanish by Simon Breden (Aurora Metro Press, 2008) Amazon link
Tina’s Web by Alki Zei translated from Greek by John Thornley (Aurora Metro Press, 2007) Amazon link
Toby Alone by Timothée de Fombelle translated from French by Sarah Ardizzone illustrated by François Place (Walker Books, 2008) Amazon link
Message in a Bottle by Valérie Zenatti translated from French by Adriana Hunter (Bloomsbury Publishing, 2008) Amazon link