Spanish – Premio Valle Inclán

The Premio Valle Inclán is an annual prize for translations into English of full length Spanish language works of literary merit and general interest. The prize was established in 1997. The winner is awarded £3,000 and a runner-up is awarded £1,000.

The Premio Valle Inclán is now open for submissions. Please enter below.
Deadline for entries: 31 March 2025.


An annual prize for translations into English of full length Spanish language works of literary merit and general interest. The winner is awarded £3,000 and a runner-up is awarded £1,000.

The Premio Valle Inclán for the translation of Spanish into English was established in 1997.

Entry Deadline: Monday 31st March 2025 

Entry criteria

  • The original must have been written in Spanish but may be from any period and from anywhere in the world
  • The translation must have been first published in the UK between 1 April 2024 and 31 March 2025
  • Submissions must not contain the use of AI generated works
  • Maximum two entries per imprint.

Conditions of entry

The decision of the judges is final and they reserve the right not to award the prize if, in their opinion, no works entered reach a sufficiently high standard. Judges may call in books if they so wish.

Current employees (or anyone directly connected with the administration of the Society of Authors’ grants and prizes) or members of the SoA Management Committee may not apply for any of the grants and prizes administered by the Society of Authors.

It is a condition of entry that publishers will put the award logo or “2025 Premio Valle Inclán Winner” or “Shortlisted for the Premio Valle Inclán 2025”, on the cover of subsequent editions of winning/shortlisted books. We have designed roundels with this information on them if you’d like to use those.

How to Enter

Submissions must be made by the publisher.

Please upload a digital copy of the text in both languages to this application or send the files to prizes@societyofauthors.org.

Once this form is completed please send five physical copies of the translation and four physical copies of the Spanish work (all non-returnable) to:

Premio Valle Inclán
Prizes department
Society of Authors
24 Bedford row
London
WC1R 4EH

Couriers should be advised to use the Theobalds road entrance.

The prize will be celebrated at the annual Translation Prizes ceremony in 2026. For any queries, please email prizes@societyofauthors.org

Submissions must be made by the print publisher
The translation must have been first published in the UK between 1 April 2024 and 31 March 2025.
The original must have been written in Spanish but may be from any period and from anywhere in the world.
Click or drag a file to this area to upload.
Maximum two entries per imprint
Click or drag a file to this area to upload.
Please provide a short bio. This may typically include recent publications, the name, date, and details of previous prizes won, education, training, and career background, and pronouns.
I agree to abide by the conditions of entry. I confirm that the translator and translation meet the criteria for entry as detailed above.
By ticking the below you are confirming that you have permission to share all the above information with the Society of Authors team and sponsorship partners. We may invite you to take part in PR activities surrounding the prize but you are under no obligation to do so and will always contact you to ask your permission before giving your contact details to our media partners. To read our full privacy policy please visit our website: societyofauthors.org/Legal-Privacy/Privacy-Statement.


The 2024 Premio Valle Inclán winner


Chris Andrews, Edith Grossman and Alastair Reid for a translation of Maqroll’s Prayer and Other Poems by Álvaro Mutis (New York Review Books Poets)

Photography © Natalie Thorpe

‘These are very exciting times for the Premio Valle Inclán, as for the first time in many years ‘poetry’ is under the spotlight. The translation of Maqroll’s Prayers by Álvaro Mutis was selected not only showing exceptional densily-beautiful translated verses, but also, to keep the same unique heartbeat in both versions of the book.’

Gaby Sambuccetti, 2024 Premio Valle Inclán judge


The 2024 Premio Valle Inclán runner-up


Kit Maude for a translation of Cousins by Aurora Venturini (Faber)

Photography © Natalie Thorpe

‘Kit Maude’s translation masterfully communicates the conversational and naïve tone of the narrator, whose journal we follow as the dark plot of the novel unfolds. Maude is able to transmit the growing experience of the narrator, whose infantilised language changes little across the novel, but whose tone becomes more complex and mature as they age. Maude’s ability to translate this contradictory and complex narrative voice from Spanish to English is an exceptional achievement.’

Dr Valentina Aparicio, 2024 Premio Valle Inclán judge


The 2024 Premio Valle Inclán shortlist


Clayton Lehmann and Ãngela Helmer for a translation of Francisco López de Gómara’s General History of the Indies by Francisco López de Gómara (University Press of Colorado)

Christina MacSweeney for a translation of Fury by Clyo Mendoza (Seven Stories Press UK)

Chris Andrews for a translation of You Glow in the Dark by Liliana Colanzi (New Directions)

‘The selection shows a range of excellent translation work that is being done at both established and independent publishing houses today, covering from archival work on Spanish Early Modern chronicles to contemporary Latin American weird narratives. The works on this shortlist reveal the versatility of these skilled translators, who have brought to English-language readers volumes that are truly worthy of being made accessible to wider global audience.’

Dr Valentina Aparicio, 2024 Premio Valle Inclán judge

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


2023 (presented 2024)

Winner: William Rowe and Helen Dimos for a translation of Trilce. Translations and Glosses. by César Vallejo (Veer Books, Crater Press)
Runner-up: Rosalind Harvey for a translation of Still Born by Guadalupe Nettel (Fitzcarraldo Editions)
Shortlist:
Jennifer Croft for a translation of Two Sherpas by Sebastián Martínez Daniell (Charco Press)
Simon Deefholts and Kathryn Phillips–Miles for a translation of Take Six: Six Spanish Women Writers by various authors (Dedalus Limited)
Forrest Gander for a translation of It Must Be a Misunderstanding by Coral Bracho (Carcanet Press)
Victor Meadowcroft for a translation of This World Does Not Belong to Us by Natalia García Freire (Oneworld Publications)

2022 (presented 2023)

Winner: Annie McDermott for a translation of Wars of the Interior by Joseph Zárate (Granta)
Runner-up: Julia Sanches for a translation of Slash and Burn by Claudia Hernández (And Other Stories)
Shortlist:

Chris Andrews for a translation of The Divorce by César Aira (And Other Stories)
Annie McDermott for a translation of Brickmakers by Selva Almada (Charco Press)
Hannah Kauders for a translation of Las Biuty Queens by Iván Monalisa Ojeda (Weidenfeld & Nicolson, Orion)
Megan McDowell for a translation of The Dangers of Smoking in Bed by Mariana Enriquez (Granta)

2021 (presented 2022)

Winner: Fionn Petch for a translation of A Musical Offering by Luis Sagasti. (Charco Press)
Runner-up: Lisa Dillman for a translation of A Luminous Republic by Andrés Barba.(Granta)
Shortlist: Annie McDermott for a translation of Dead Girls by Selva Almada. (Charco Press)​
Sophie Hughes for a translation of Hurricane Season by Fernanda Melchor. (Fitzcarraldo Editions)
Christina MacSweeney for a translation of Ramifications by Daniel Saldaña París.(Charco Press).

2020 (presented 2021)

Winner: Katherine Silver for a translation of The Word of the Speechless by Julio Ramon Ribeyro (New York Review Books)
Runner-up: Anne McLean for a transaltion of Lord of All the Dead by Javier Cercas (MacLehose Press)
Shortlist: Richard Gwyn for a translation of Impossible Loves by Darío Jaramillo (Carcanet Poetry) 
Abigail Parry and Serafina Vick for a translation of A Little Body are Many Parts by Legna Rodríguez Iglesias (Bloodaxe Books and the Poetry Translation Centre)
Margaret Jull Costa and Sophie Hughes for a translation of Mac and His Problem by Enrique Vila-Matas (Vintage, PRH)
Megan McDowell for a translation of Mouthful of Birds by Samanta Schweblin (Oneworld)



2019 (presented 2020)

Winner: Jessica Sequeira for a translation of Land of Smoke by Sara Gallardo (Pushkin Press)
Runner-up: Sophie Hughes for a translation of The Remainder by Alia Trabucco Zeran (And Other Stories)
Shortlisted: Nick Caistor for a translation of Springtime in a Broken Mirror by Mario Benedetti (Penguin Classics)
Charlotte Coombe for a translation of Fish Soup by Margarita García Robayo (Charco Press)
William Gregory for a translation of The Oberon Anthology of Contemporary Spanish Plays by Borja Ortiz de Gondra, Blanca Doménech, Victor Sánchez Rodríguez, Vanessa Montfort, and Julio Escalada (Oberon Books)

2018 (presented 2019)

Winner: Megan McDowell for her translation of Seeing Red by Lina Meruane (Atlantic)
Runner-up: Daniel Hahn for his translation of In the Land of Giants by Gabi Martínez (Scribe)
Shortlistees: Simon Deefholts and Kathryn Phillips-Miles for their translation of Inventing Love by Jose Ovejero (Peter Owens Publishers)
Sarah Moses and Carolina Orloff for their translation of Die, My Love by Ariana Harwicz (Charco Press)

2017 (presented 2018)

Winner: Margaret Jull Costa for her translation of On the Edge by Rafael Chirbes (Harvill Secker)
Commended: Rosalind Harvey for her translation of I’ll Sell You a Dog by Juan Pablo Villalobos (And Other Stories) 

2016 (presented 2017)

Winner: Christina MacSweeney for her translation of The Story of My Teeth by Valeria Luiselli (Granta)

2015 (presented 2016)

Winner: Anne McLean for her translation of Outlaws by Javier Cercas (Bloomsbury)
Commended: Margaret Jull Costa for her translation of Tristana by Benito Pérez Galdós (New York Review Books)

2014

Winner: Nick Caistor, for his translation of An Englishman in Madrid by Eduardo Mendoza (MacLehose Press)
Commended: Margaret Jull Costa for her translation of The Infatuations by Javier Marías (Hamish Hamilton)

2013

Winner: Frank Wynne for his translation of The Blue Hour by Alonso Cueto (Heinemann)
Commended: Nick Caistor and Lorenza Garcia for Traveller of the Century by Andrés Neuman (Pushkin Press)
Commended: Anne McLean for The Sound of Things Falling by Juan Gabriel Vásquez (Bloomsbury)

2012

Winner: Peter Bush for his translation of Exiled From Almost Everywhere by Juan Goytisolo (Dalkey Archive Press, pictured far right).
Runner-up: Margaret Jull Costa for her translation of Seven Houses in France by Bernardo Axtaga (Harvill Secker).

2011

Winner: Frank Wynne for Kamchatka by Marcelo Figueras (Atlantic)
Runner-up: Margaret Jull Costa for The Sickness by Alberto Barrera Tyszka (Maclehose Press)

2010

Margaret Jull Costa for Your Face Tomorrow 3: Poison, Shadow and Farewell by Javier Marías (Chatto) and
Christopher Johnson for the Selected Poetry of Francisco de Quevedo (University of Chicago Press).

2009

Winner: Margaret Jull Costa for The Accordionist’s Son by Bernardo Atxaga (Harvill Secker)
Runner up: Edith Grossman for Happy Families by Carlos Fuentes (Bloomsbury)

2008

Winner: Nick Caistor for The Past by Alan Pauls (Harvill Secker)
and John Dent-Young for Selected Poems by Luis de Góngora (The University of Chicago Press)

2007

Winer: Nick Caistor for The Sleeping Voice by Dulce Chacón (Harvill Secker/Alfaguara)
Runner up: John Cullen for Lies by Enrique de Hériz (Weidenfeld/Edhasa)

2006

Winner: Margaret Jull Costa for Your Face Tomorrow 1: Fever and Spear by Javier Marias (Chatto & Windus)
Runner up: Sonia Soto for The Oxford Murders by Guillermo Martinez (Abacus)

2005

Winner: Chris Andrews for Distant Star by Roberto Bolaño (Harvill)
Runner up: Margaret Jull Costa for The Man of Feeling by Javier Marías (Harvill)

2004

Winner: Anne McLean for Soldiers of Salamis by Javier Cercas (Bloomsbury)

2003

Winner: Sam Richard for Not Only Fire by Benjamin Prado (Faber and Faber)

2002

Winner: John Rutherford for Don Quixote by Miguel Cervantes (Penguin)
Runner up: Margaret Sayers Peden for Portrait in Sepia by Isabel Allende (Flamingo)

2001

Winner: Timothy Adès for Homer in Cuernavaca by Alfonso Reyes (Edinburgh University Press)

Runner up: Edith Grossman for The Messenger by Mayra Montero (Harvill)

2000

Winner: Sonia Soto for Winter in Lisbon by Antonio Muñoz Molina (Granta)
Runner up: Margaret Sayers Peden for Daughter of Fortune by Isabel Allende (Flamingo)

1999

Winner: Don Share for I Have Lots of Heart by Miguel Hernández (Bloodaxe)

1997

Winner: Peter Bush for The Marx Family Saga by Juan Goytisolo (Faber)

Dr Valentina Aparicio

Dr Valentina Aparicio is a Lecturer in Romanticism at Queen Mary University of London. Her research focuses on literary exchanges between Latin America, Britain, and the Caribbean during the nineteenth century. She is interested in how literature about the Americas represented race, gender, and class in this period. She analyses literature written in English, Spanish, and Portuguese, and has recently published articles in Essays in Romanticism, European Romantic Review, and Cuadernos de Ilustración y Romanticismo. She received her PhD in English at The University of Edinburgh and previously studied a BA in Hispanic Literature and Linguistics at Pontificia Universidad Católica de Chile.

Gaby Sambucetti

Gaby Sambuccetti, born in Argentina in 1986, is a UK-based writer. She is a teacher of Latin American and Spanish literature, and holds an MA in Modern Languages, Literature and Culture from King’s College London where she won the 2022 Cosmo Davenport- Hines poetry prize. She is the founder of La Ninfa Eco, publishing writers from across the world, and was Events Co-Director at the Oxford Writers’ House. Her latest book is The Good, the Bad & the Poet (2020), and her reviews and other writing have appeared in magazines, anthologies and on literary platforms in Argentina, Brazil, Peru, Germany, Bolivia, the US, Mexico, Chile, Spain, Bangladesh, India, and the UK. She is currently studying a postgraduate course in Modern Languages at the University of Oxford.

Gerard Woodward

© Suzanne Woodward

Gerard Woodward is a novelist, poet and short story writer, and Professor of Fiction at Bath Spa University. He studied fine art at Falmouth School of Art, and Social Anthropology at the London School of Economics. His trilogy of novels concerning the Jones Family (August, I’ll Go To Bed at Noon and A Curious Earth) have won widespread critical acclaim, including shortlistings for the Man-Booker Prize and Whitbread First Novel Award. His most recent publications are a novel, The Paper Lovers and a collection of poetry The Vulture, both published by Picador.