Tuesday, September 3rd, 2019 10:01 am

The American Literary Translators Association (ALTA) announced the longlists today for the 2019 National Translation Awards in Poetry and Prose. Included on the longlist for poetry is War Songs by ‘Antarah ibn Shaddad, translated by James E. Montgomery with Richard Sieburth!

Fall 2018 PaperbacksThe National Translation Award, now in its 21st year, is the only national award for translated fiction, poetry, and literary nonfiction that includes a rigorous examination of both the source text and its relation to the finished English work. Featuring authors writing in 13 different languages, this year’s longlists expand the prize’s dedication to literary diversity in English. The selection criteria include the quality of the finished English language book, and the quality of the translation. ALTA will highlight each book on the longlists with features written by the judges on the ALTA blog: https://literarytranslators.wordpress.com/

The Complete 2019 National Translation Award Longlist in Poetry:

War Songs
by Antarah ibn Shaddad
translated from the Arabic by James E. Montgomery with Richard Sieburth
(Library of Arabic Literature/NYU Press)

Architecture of Dispersed Life: Selected Poems
by Pablo de Rokha
translated from the Spanish by Urayoán Noel
(Shearsman Books)

The Color of Rivers
by Juana Castro
translated from the Spanish by Ana Valverde Osan
(Diálogos)

The Complete Cold Mountain: Poems of the Legendary Hermit Hanshan
by Hanshan
translated from the Chinese by Kazuaki Tanahashi and Peter Levitt
(Shambhala Publications)

Countersong to Walt Whitman
by Pedro Mir
translated from the Spanish by Jonathan Cohen and Donald D. Walsh
(Peepal Tree Press)

Decals
by Oliverio Girondo
translated from the Spanish by Rachel Galvin and Harris Feinsod
(Open Letter Books)

The Future Has an Appointment with the Dawn
by Tanella Boni
translated from the French by Todd Fredeson
(University of Nebraska Press)

Negative Space
by Luljeta Lleshanaku
translated from the Albanian by Ani Gjika
(New Directions)

Pan Tadeusz: The Last Foray in Lithuania
by Adam Mickiewicz
translated from the Polish by Bill Johnston
(Archipelago Books)

The Popul Vuh
by Anonymous
translated from the K’iche’ by Michael Bazzett
(Milkweed Editions)

Robert the Devil
by Anonymous
translated from the French by Samuel N. Rosenberg
(Penn State University Press)

Through Naked Branches: Selected Poems of Tarjei Vesaas
by Tarjei Vesaas
translated from the Norwegian by Roger Greenwald
(Black Widow Press)