The Vondel Prize is a triennial award of €5000 for translation into English of full length Dutch language works of literary merit and general interest.

Named after the most prominent Dutch poet and playwright of the 17th century, Joost van den Vondel, the prize was first awarded in 1996 and is sponsored by the Foundation for the Production and Translation of Dutch Literature.

The 2024 Vondel Translation Prize shortlist

‘All five books have an unforgettable first-person narrator whose voice has been rendered in English with authenticity, immediacy, and an unerring sense of timing. The shortlisted translators have tackled these idiosyncratic works and challenging themes with exceptional skill, unflinching integrity, and above all, flair.’
The judges

David McKay for a translation of We Slaves of Suriname by Anton de Kom (Polity Press)

‘A groundbreaking classic that bears sobering witness to the horrors of slavery under Dutch colonial rule, Anton de Kom’s We Slaves of Suriname feels fresh and raw in David McKay’s vivid and supple translation. Each register, from lush landscape description to tragic storytelling and from burning invective to impassioned rallying cry, is handled with ease and authority. Epic in scope, this remarkably concise book traces the legacy of multiple hypocrisies and cruelties to devastating effect.’

Emma Rault for a translation of We Had to Remove This Post by Hanna Bervoets (Picador)

‘Hanna Bervoets’ gripping novel gives the reader a disturbing glimpse into the dark side of social media and the seductive nature of conspiracy theories. Emma Rault portrays the main character – a moderator for a social-media company – with such energy that her translation throbs with life. Thanks to her originality, gutsy approach and convincingly colloquial style, We Had to Remove This Post is a lively, if disquieting, read.’

Kristen Gehrman for a translation of The History of My Sexuality by Tobi Lakmaker (Granta Books)

‘Tobi Lakmaker’s The History of My Sexuality combines deliciously brisk storytelling with the irreverent observation and punchy delivery of a killer stand-up routine. Paying gleeful homage to Salinger, the novel’s deftly spliced chronology sidesteps sentimentality and taps into unexpected seams of loss and heartbreak in its final section. Kristen Gehrman brings Lakmaker’s bold narrative voice memorably to life with verve and irresistible comic timing.’

Michele Hutchison for a translation of My Heavenly Favourite by Lucas Rijneveld (Faber)

‘Lucas Rijneveld’s lyrical, relentless and deeply unsettling second novel is narrated by the 49-year-old abuser of a teenage girl. A Boschian work that fuses the shocking and repulsive to exquisite descriptive details, My Heavenly Favourite represents a formidable challenge for the translator. Michele Hutchison’s astonishingly fluid rendering of Rijneveld’s endless, undulating sentences drags the helpless reader dazzled and dismayed to the very last page.’

Sam Garrett for a translation of Falling is like Flying by Manon Uphoff (Pushkin Press)

‘Manon Uphoff’s novel-cum-memoir is a brilliantly uncowed account of a childhood blighted by incest. In Sam Garrett’s translation, Uphoff’s gift for specificity sparkles. Enriched by judicious use of literary reference, Falling is Like Flying delivers an intense, writerly treatment of a shocking and painful subject. Garrett’s formidable range deals nimbly with the mix of registers in this surprisingly playful and extremely powerful work.’

If you are interested in any of the books here please visit Bookshop.org.