The Stevns Translation Prize 2026 is now open. This year’s prize focuses on Vietnamese, and the selected title is Bảo Tàng Lông [Museum of Hair] by Maik Cây, a daring and intimate novel told in eight kaleidoscopic stories. Entrants are asked to submit a translation of a chosen extract from the book along with a 500 word translator’s note. We welcome all translators from Vietnamese who have not yet published a full-length literary translation to enter via the link here.
The prize will close on February 1, 2026. The shortlist and winner will be announced in early March 2026.
The full terms and conditions can be found here.
The extract to be translated is here. It is taken from the story ‘Phía tây thất thủ,’ published in full by Tuổi Trẻ Cuối Tuần.
Please enter via the form here. Good luck to all!
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The Book
The winning translator will receive a $6400 / £4800 commission to translate Bảo tàng lông by Maik Cây, to be published by Peirene Press (UK) and Two Lines Press (US) in 2027.
Bảo Tàng Lông [Museum of Hair] by Maik Cây is a daring and intimate novel centered on a fictional queer foremother: the reclusive artist Trần Bích Băng. When she dies, her abandoned apartment unveils a secret archive of women’s hair, each strand a memory of desire and connection. Across eight kaleidoscopic tales told by those drawn into her orbit—from a granddaughter tracing an inheritance of art and madness, to a trespasser uncovering her secrets—Băng emerges as writer, lover, prophet and digital ghost. Inventive, haunting, and deeply tender, this visionary work explores memory, exile, and the power of storytelling to resurrect what has been erased.
The Mentorship
This year’s winner will work with established literary translator Nguyễn An Lý (Chinatown and Elevator in Sài Gòn by Thuận and Water: A Chronicle by Nguyễn Ngọc Tư). An Lý 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.
