Monday, November 10, 2008

Stephen Spender Translation Awards

Well, I'm going to brave the inclement weather and dash down to London tonight for the Stephen Spender Translation Awards. I've had a bad chest for the past week, so it's been touch and go whether I could take up the invitation to attend, as editor of Horizon Review, but I've finally decided that I will make the attempt.

Stephen Spender, of course, was not only a great English poet of the last century, but was also one of the founders of the original Horizon, back in the 1940s. And I'm interested in the translation awards, not least because I was intending to enter for the Awards this year but didn't manage to finish my translation in time for the deadline.

So I'm naturally very keen to go tonight and get a feel for the standard, because there's always next year ... !

Definitely a good night to take an umbrella though.

3 comments:

Unknown said...

If it' anything like the wind and rain we're getting here, do make sure and wrap up warm - enjoy!

Jane Holland said...

It wasn't too bad in the end. Quite mild, though still damp.

I had a whale of a time though; will blog about it very soon. Have a school workshop tomorrow and a university workshop on Thursday, and need to prepare for them first. But it was great. Some of the under-18s translations were frighteningly brilliant, and the famous name count was high. Andrew Motion was there, Lady Spender, Valerie Eliot, and the wine was very nice indeed. None of that rough stuff for the Stephen Spender Prizes!

Also writing like the clappers at the moment and don't want to disturb the flow. Sudden creative gush!!

J.

Michelle said...

Looking forward to hearing about the evening, Jane.