Open Call for the 2024 Drahomán Prize
Open Call for the 2024 Drahomán Prize
17 / 10 / 2024

On October 17, the founding organizations of the Drahomán Prize, an award for translators from Ukrainian into other languages, announced an open call for 2024.

Based on the conditions of the Prize, 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).

Translators can be nominated for the Prize by foreign cultural and academic institutions, diplomatic missions, publishing houses, creative associations, and members of the Chapter. 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. Laureates of the Prize cannot be nominated for the second time.

The submission includes a filled-out application form as well as electronic and hard copies of the nominated book in Ukrainian and in the language of translation. Applications for 2024 will be accepted from October 17 to December 5.

The shortlisted nominees and the laureate are selected by the Chapter that consists of 9 members. It comprises reputable writers, translators, linguists, literary scholars, and cultural managers. Regardless of the year, the Chapter includes the General Director of the Ukrainian Institute, the President of PEN Ukraine, and the Director of the Ukrainian Book Institute. This year, 6 members of the Chapter were changed because, according to the Prize condition, their term of operation has ended. The 2024 jury members include Volodymyr Sheiko, Volodymyr Yermolenko, Oleksandra Koval, Iaroslava Strikha, Alla Tatarenko, Katarzyna Kotyńska, Rory Finnin, Iryna Zabiiaka, and Sofiia Onufriv. 

The long list of nominees for the 2023 Drahomán Prize will be announced no later than December 10. The name of the laureate will be announced in spring during the award ceremony. The laureate receives a statuette created by the Ukrainian artist Anna Zvyagintseva and a 3,000 EUR prize (taxes included), as well as additional opportunities for professional growth and promotion of works.

The German translator Claudia Dathe became the first laureate of the Prize in 2020. Also, Imadeddine Raef, a translator from Ukrainian into Arabic, was awarded the Chapter’s Special Honor "for the excellence in translation and promotion of Ukrainian classical literature." 

The Polish translator, writer, and literary critic Bohdan Zadura became the laureate of the 2021 Drahomán Prize. The Special Honor 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 awarded to Tobias Wals, a Ukrainian-to-Dutch translator. 

The French translator Iryna Dmytrychyn became the laureate of the 2022 Drahomán Prize. The Special Honor of the Chapter "for the particular contribution in translating and promoting Ukrainian literature, and in developing the Ukrainian studies in Italy" was awarded to Giovanna Brogi, a translator from Ukrainian into Italian.

The Polish translator Katarzyna Kotyńska was named the 2023 laureate of the Drahomán Prize. The Special Honor of the Chapter "for building cultural bridges between Ukraine and Georgia" was awarded to Raul Chilachava, a translator from Ukrainian into Georgian.

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Ukrainian Institute is a state institution dedicated to spotlighting Ukrainian culture globally and nurturing profound cultural ties with other countries and peoples. Since 2018, the Institute has worked worldwide with the head office in Kyiv. In 2023, its first branches opened in Europe: Berlin, Germany, and Paris, France. The Ukrainian Institute is affiliated with Ukraine's Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

PEN Ukraine is a cultural and human rights NGO uniting Ukrainian intellectuals – writers, journalists, scholars, publishers, translators, human rights defenders, culture managers. With over 170 members, it is one of 146 national centers of PEN International. It is a co-founder of the Vasyl Stus Prize, the Yuri Shevelyov Prize, and the George Gongadze Prize.

Ukrainian Book Institute is a government entity affiliated to the Ministry of Culture and Information Policy of Ukraine. Its mission is to develop state policy in the book sector, promote book reading in Ukraine, support book publishing, encourage translation activity, and popularize Ukrainian literature abroad.