THE STEVNS TRANSLATION PRIZE 2025

Congratulations to to the winner of the 2025 Stevens Translation Prize

Dina Leifer

and to our finalists 

Victoria Baena and Kate McNamara

The Stevns Translation Prize 2025 is now closed for submissions.  
The full terms and conditions can be found here, and the extract to be translated here.

The Mentorship

This year’s winner will work with Adriana Hunter, acclaimed translator from French. Adriana will offer the winning translator feedback and advice throughout the translation process and support them as they embark on their first full-length literary translation. 

The Retreat

An 18th-century mill house in the foothills of the French Pyrenees. The house comfortably sleeps 5/6 and comes fully equipped, including a large garden with a natural swimming pond. The closest village is a 10-minute walk from the retreat. Stay at the retreat is free and covered by the Stevns Translation Prize; travel expenses will be covered up to $1,000.

The Book

The winning translator will receive a £3,700 / $4,500 commission to translate Avant que j'oublie by Anne Pauly, to be published by Peirene Press (UK) and Two Lines Press (US) in 2026 . 

Avant que j’oublie by Anne Pauly (Éditions Verdier, 2019) is a tragi-comic exploration of grief, loss, and “vengeful social mobility.” The novel, which won the 2020 Prix du Livre Inter and Prix Robert Walser, was also shortlisted for the Prix Femina, Prix Wepler, and Prix Goncourt. With its compelling narrative on the complexities of family dynamics, particularly the fraught relationships between children and their parents, the text presents both a poignant and lively challenge for any translator. Pauly’s work captures the vibrancy of everyday life and gives voice to society’s overlooked and marginalized.