Congratulations to Professor Karen Leeder, who is the winner of the Schlegel-Tieck Prize 2021 (of the Society of Authors) for her translation of Durs Grünbein, Porcelain: Poem on the Downfall of my City (London, New York, Calcutta: Seagull Books, November 2020).
The Schlegel-Tieck Prize is an annual award for translations into English from full-length German works of literary merit and general interest.
Judges of the Schlegel-Tieck Prize said:
This year's shortlist contains one of the most remarkable feats of translation I've ever read. […] Reading it is like watching someone solve a ten-dimensional crossword, except the result is powerful, amusing and moving. Every line stands comparison with the original. Her translation operates at a degree of complexity and accomplishment that is rare to see.' (Alexander Starritt, judge).
Karen Leeder said: 'I am so grateful to Seagull Books for taking a chance on this poem and on me and doing such a beautiful job in the midst of the Pandemic. I am thrilled that Durs Grünbein's remarkable poem will reach a wider audience.'