Award for translators from Ukrainian into world languages, founded in 2020 by the Ukrainian Institute, PEN Ukraine, and the Ukrainian Book Institute.
Purpose of the Prize
The award is designed to support and celebrate the collaborative work of translators from Ukrainian into the world languages, who open Ukrainian literature, society, and culture to the world.
The Prize is awarded for
- excellent translation skills
- contribution to the promotion of Ukrainian literature worldwide
Nomination conditions
Translators can be nominated for the Prize by foreign cultural and academic institutions, diplomatic missions, publishing houses, creative associations, and members of the Chapter.
All translators who have at least one translated and published literary or documentary work from Ukrainian language, can be nominated for the Prize.
Literary and documentary works include prose, poetry, drama, and non-fiction (essays, reportage, interviews, biographies, memoirs).
The nominated book of the translator must be published by a foreign publisher within two years prior to the award year and should be compatible with values and principles of the founding organizations. Nomination of a tandem of translators who worked together on translating the same text is possible.
Anthologies compiled from autonomous translations of different translators cannot be nominated for the Prize.
Laureates of the Prize cannot be nominated for the second time.
A translator cannot be nominated with the same book for the second time.
The submission consists of:
– a duly filled online submission form;
– electronic and hard copies of the nominated book in Ukrainian and in the language of the translation.
Please send hard copies to the following address: Український осередок Міжнародного ПЕН-клубу, вул. Лукʼянівська, 14а, оф. 1, Київ 04085, Україна (PEN Ukraine, 14a Lukyanivska St., Office #1, Kyiv 04085, Ukraine); and electronic to: [email protected]. Submissions for the 2024 Drahomán Prize are accepted from October 17 to December 5.
Chapter
The Chapter of the Prize consists of 9 members. It includes authoritative writers, translators, linguists and literary critics, cultural managers. Regardless of the year, the Chapter includes the Director General of the Ukrainian Institute, the President of PEN Ukraine and the Director of the Ukrainian Book Institute, and the laureate of the previous year. The composition of the Chapter is approved annually by the founding organizations.
Invited members of the Chapter may be members of the Chapter for no more than 3 consecutive years. The members of the Chapter have the right to involve experts (translators, linguists and literary critics, diplomats) to consult on the submitted nominations.
The 2024 Jury members:
- Volodymyr Yermolenko, writer, journalist, philosopher, President of PEN Ukraine
- Volodymyr Sheiko, Director General of the Ukrainian Institute
- Oleksandra Koval, Director of the Ukrainian Book Institute
- Iaroslava Strikha, translator, literary scholar
- Katarzyna Kotyńska, translator, laureate of the Drahomán Prize-2023
- Alla Tatarenko, translator, professor of Lviv Ivan Franko National University
- Rory Finnin, of Ukrainian Studies at the University of Cambridge
- Iryna Zabiiaka, translator
- Sofia Onufriv, translator, manager of cultural projects
Procedure for determining the laureate
The laureate of the Prize is selected in three stages:
- At the first stage, a long list of applicants is formed, which is announced no later than December 10.
- At the second stage, the members of the Chapter vote for the short list of the Prize, which is published no later than March 15.
- At the third stage, the members of the Chapter elect the laureate of the Prize via an anonymous voting.
The Chapter may decide on awarding one of the long-listed translators with the Special Award. Monetary reward is not provided for the Special Award.
Award ceremony
The name of the Prize laureate is announced annually during a ceremony in Kyiv, which takes place in April. Three finalists of the Prize are invited to participate in the ceremony.
The laureate of the Prize receives a statuette made by Ukrainian artist Anna Zvyagintseva, a cash prize of 3,000 Euros (including taxes), as well as additional opportunities to work and promote their work from the Ukrainian Institute and the Ukrainian Book Institute (participation in translation residencies, book fairs and literary festivals abroad). In case a translators' tandem wins the Prize, the monetary reward is divided equally between them.
Title of the Prize
Yuriy Prokhasko, translator, member of the Chapter of the Prize:
"We have an incredibly favorable convergence in the paradigm of Ukrainian culture, from which an exceptional semantic added value is taken, which would be a sin not to use. Etymological kinship of the term "dragoman" as a "translator, interpreter, mediator, (cultural) diplomat, craftsman, and servant of mutual understanding" – and the name of one of the leading figures in the canon of Ukrainian history of ideas – Mykhailo Drahomanov.
It is quite obvious that this award is not dedicated exclusively to Drahomanov and is not consecrated directly in his name, is not under his protection and patronage. However, it is also obvious that Mykhailo Drahomanov is the personification of the belief and practice of translating Ukraine to the world and the world to Ukraine, to attract, to connect Ukraine to the world and the world to Ukraine greatly enhances the richness, the shimmer of these values.
It is good if a knowledgeable contemporary can read all these meanings at once. But it is enough when at least one person speaks to him through this name: we are talking about translators. Especially since the concept of dragoman has circulation and is immediately reported in many world languages. Writing the name of this international award in Latin transliteration through the aspirational h only further emphasizes its Ukrainian origin."
Prize laureates
2020 – Claudia Dathe, Germany
2021 – Bohdan Zadura, Poland
2022 – Iryna Dmytrychyn, France
2023 – Katarzyna Kotyńska, Poland
2024 – Eero Balk, Finland
History
2024 Drahomán Prize
Eero Balk, a Finnish translator, has been awarded the 2024 Drahomán Prize. Eero Balk was nominated for this year’s prize by the Ukrainian Society in Finland for his translation of Evheniia Kuznetsova’s novel ‘The Staircase’ (The Old Lion Publishing House, 2023).
The finalists:
- Eero Balk with a translation into Finnish of Yevhenia Kuznetsova’s novel The Ladder
- Amelia Glaser and Yuliya Ilchuk with the English translation of Halyna Kruk’s poetry collection A Crash Course in Molotov Cocktails
- Dariya Pavlešen and Ana Dugandžić with the Croatian translation of Yuri Andrukhovych’s novel Radio Night
Special Award:
The Special Jury Commendation for the high professionalism and humanism in developing the Ukrainian-Lithuanian literary dialogue was given to a translator from Ukrainian into Lithuanian, Vytautas Dekšnys.
2023 Drahomán Prize
Polish translator Katarzyna Kotynska was named the 2023 laureate of the Drahomán Prize, which honors translators from Ukrainian into world languages.
The finalists:
- Eero Balk (Finland) is a translator from Ukrainian into Finnish. Nominated by the Ukrainian Association in Finland with a translation of the novel written by Serhii Rudenko Battle for Kyiv (Sankareiden Kiova, Tammi, 2023). He is an alumna of Taras Shevchenko National University of Kyiv (1981) and has more than 30 books in his translation heritage. In 2023, he received an honorary award from the WSOY Literary Foundation.
- Katarzyna Kotyńska (Poland) is a translator from Ukrainian into Polish. Nominated by the Embassy of Ukraine in the Republic of Poland with a translation of the book written by Oksana Zabuzhko The Longest Journey (Najdłuższa podróż, Agora, 2023). Since 2023 she has been the head of the Department of Ukrainian Studies at the Institute of East Slavic Philology of the Jagiellonian University. She is the winner of the Angelus Central European Literature Award for the translation of Oksana Zabuzhko’s novel «The Museum of Abandoned Secrets» (2013). Also, she is a mentor of the «Gaude Polonia» program.
- Mikael Nydahl (Sweden) is a translator from Ukrainian into Swedish. Nominated by ellerströms förlag publishing with a translation of poetry collection written by Artur Dron We Were Here (Vi var här, Ariel & ellerströms förlag, 2023). He is a co-founder of the Swedish residency and translation program for Ukrainian playwrights (2022). Since 2023 he has been a co-editor and co-translator of a modern Ukrainian poetry series.
Special Award:
Raul Chilachava, a translator from Ukrainian into Georgian, received a special distinction from the award for ‘building Ukrainian-Georgian cultural bridges.’ In 2023, three Ukrainian books translated by Raul Chilachava were published in Georgia: ‘Oformlyandia, or a Walk in the Zone’ by Markiyan Kamysh; an anthology titled ‘Dictionary of War,’ which features Ukrainian authors writing about war; and ‘My Thoughts…’ by Taras Shevchenko.
2022 Drahomán Prize
On 26 September 2023, the 2022 Drahomán Prize Laureate for translators from Ukrainian into world languages was announced. Iryna Dmytrychyn has won the Drahomán Prize 2022.
The award ceremony took place in Gdańsk (Poland) in cooperation with the Wolne Słowo Gdańsk Miasto Literatury project, Kolegium Europa Wschodniej, Stowarzyszenie autors ZAiKS, Polsko-Amerykańska Fundacja Wolności, Liderzy Przemian Fundacja, and the Study Tours to Poland Programme.
The finalists:
- Mark Andryczyk (USA) is a translator from Ukrainian into English. Nominated by Ukrainian Research Institute at Harvard University with a translation of the novel written by Volodymyr Rafeyenko Mondegreen: Songs about Death and Love (Cambridge, MA: Harvard University Press, 2022). He has administered the Ukrainian Studies Program at the Harriman Institute, Columbia University and has taught Ukrainian literature at its Department of Slavic Languages and Literatures since 2007. Since 2008 he has organized the Contemporary Ukrainian Literature Series, which has brought leading Ukrainian literary figures to audiences in North America.
- Iryna Dmytrychyn (France) is a translator from Ukrainian into French. Nominated by the publishing house Les Édition Noir sur Blanc with a translation of the novel written by Serhiy Zhadan The Orphanage (Les Édition Noir sur Blanc, 2022). Author of numerous publications on Ukrainian literature and history. She is responsible for Ukrainian studies at the National Institute for Oriental Languages and Civilizations (INALCO) in Paris.
- Rayna Kamberova (Bulgaria) is a translator from Ukrainian into Bulgarian. Nominated by the Embassy of Ukraine in the Republic of Bulgaria with a translation of the novel written by Lyubko Deresh Cult (Ergo, 2021). Since 2001, she has been teaching Ukrainian at Sofia University. Her scientific interests are concentrated in the field of lexicography and lexicology, pragmatics, theory and practice of translation, semantics, history of Ukrainian-Bulgarian relations. She translates Ukrainian fiction and publicism.
Special Award:
Along with the list of the finalists, the Chapter of the Prize also announced the name of the holder of the Special Award. The award “for the special contribution to the translation and promotion of Ukrainian literature, as well as to the development of Ukrainian studies in Italy” received Giovanna Brogi (Italy), a translator from Ukrainian into Italian, a researcher of the literature of Central and Eastern Europe.
2021 Drahomán Prize
Polish translator Bohdan Zadura became the laureate of the 2021 Drahomán Prize for translators from Ukrainian into world languages.
On October 17, 2022, the Ukrainian Institute, PEN Ukraine and the Ukrainian Book Institute announced the name of the laureate of the Drahomán Prize. The award ceremony was held abroad for the first time. It will be hosted by Literaturhaus Berlin – the first house of literature in Germany, a cultural and educational institution that promotes world literatures, making them accessible to the general public through modern formats. The ceremony was broadcast online on the Facebook pages of the Ukrainian Institute, PEN Ukraine and the Ukrainian Book Institute, as well as on the YouTube channels Literaturhaus Berlin and Ukrainian Institute.
The finalists:
- Alessandro Achilli (Italy) is a translator from Ukrainian into Italian. Senior assistant at the Department of Slavic Languages and Literatures of the University of Cagliari (Italy), a researcher of modern Ukrainian literature with particular attention to poetry and cultural history. He is nominated for the Prize with a translation into Italian of Markiyan Kamysh’s novel “Oformland: A Stroll to the Zone” (publisher – Keller editor).
- Iryna Dmytryshyn (France) is a translator from Ukrainian into Polish. Author of numerous publications on Ukrainian literature and history. She is responsible for Ukrainian studies at the National Institute for Oriental Languages and Civilizations (INALCO) in Paris. She is nominated for the Prize with a French translation of Yurii Andrukhovych’s novel “The Lexicon of Intimate Cities” (publisher – Noir sur Blanc).
- Bohdan Zadura (Poland) is a translator from Polish into Ukrainian, a writer and a literary critic. The author of twenty-five books of poetry and over a dozen volumes of essays and prose. For many years editor of the quarterly “Akcent”, since 2004 editor-in-chief of “Twórczość” monthly. Nominated for the Prize with translations into Polish of Kateryna Babkina’s “My grandfather danced better than everyone else” (publisher – Warsztaty Kultury), Vasyl Makhno’s “Eternal Calendar” (publisher – Państwowy Instytut Wydawniczy) and Yuriy Wynnychuk’s “Lyutetsia” (publisher – Warstwy).
Special Award:
As part of the ceremony, the Special Award of the Chapter “for the filigree translation of the classics of Ukrainian literary modernism and contribution to the promotion of Ukrainian literature in Europe” was also presented. It was awarded to Tobias Wals, a Ukrainian-to-Dutch translator who was nominated by Pegasus Publishers for his translation of the book by the Ukrainian writer Mike Johansen “Dr. Leonardo’s Journey to Sloboda Switzerland with his Future Lover, the Beautiful Alcesta”.
2020 Drahomán Prize
The first laureate of the Drahomán Prize—an award for translators from the Ukrainian — is the German translator Claudia Dathe. The name of the winner was announced during the awards ceremony held on April 23 at the Theater on Podil in Kyiv.
The finalists:
- translator from Ukrainian into Czech Rita Kindlerová (nominated with the translation into Czech of Volodymyr Viatrovych’s publicistic work Ukraine: Classified History;
- translator from Ukrainian into Polish Katarzyna Kotyńska (nominated with the translation into Polish of Victoria Amelina’s Dom’s Dream Kingdom);
- Claudia Dathe (Germany), translator working from Ukrainian into German. For the Drahomán Prize, she is nominated with translations into German of Serhiy Zhadan’s poetry collection Antenna (Suhrkamp Publishing House) and Oleksiy Chupa’s novel Tales of My Bomb Shelter (Haymon Publishing House).
Special Award:
Within the Drahomán Prize awards ceremony, Imadeddine Raef, a translator from Ukrainian into Arabic, was honored with the Jury’s Special Award “for excellence in translation and promotion of Ukrainian classical literature.” He was nominated for the Drahomán Prize by Ukraine’s Embassy in the Lebanese Republic with translation of Beirut Stories authored by Agatangel Krimsky.
