And the Winner of the 2015 PEN Translation Award Is…

If you haven’t heard the news already, we are proud, delighted, and thrilled to announce that Denise Newman has won the 2015 PEN Translation Prize for her translation of Naja Marie Aidt’s Baboon (published by Two Lines Press).

Here’s an excerpt from the judges’ comments:

“From its first line, Denise Newman’s translation of Baboon announces that its readers will be transported to unexpected, bewildering places, and that the journey will at times be abrupt, even disconcerting….If the reader’s transit into Aidt’s narrative world is often jarring, Newman’s agile and compelling translation of her prose into English provides steadfast footing. One can imagine the challenge of conveying the psychological depths just barely concealed beneath Aidt’s measured words, and Newman accomplishes this feat with remarkable skill. It is impossible to miss the urgency and deep humanity of each of these stories, even as the spare descriptions of extreme scenarios push the reader far into unfamiliar territory.”

You can read the full announcement on the PEN website, or check out one of the stories from Baboon.

If you haven’t already, order your copy of the book now!

Read more reviews of Baboon on the Two Lines Press blog, and listen to Naja Marie Aidt and Denise Newman talk about translating the book.

You can also check out Naja Marie Aidt’s recent review of another Two Lines Press title, Marie NDiaye’s Self-Portrait in Green.

Don’t miss out on future award winners from Two Lines Press! Subscribe now and get five titles for only $40.