PEN/Heim Translation Fund Grants

The PEN/Heim Translation Fund Grants were established in 2003 by PEN America (formerly PEN American Center) following a gift of $730,000 by Michael Henry Heim, a noted literary translator. Heim believed that there was a 'dismayingly low number of literary translations currently appearing in English'. The Grants' purpose is to promote the publication and reception of translated world literature in English. Grants are awarded each year to a select number of literary translators based on quality of translation as well as the originality and importance of the original work. The Fund's mission is to promote the publication and reception of world literature.
Since the first grants were awarded in 2004, the Fund has supported translations of books from over 30 languages.
Many works supported by the Fund are eventually published, and a significant number have won or been shortlisted for major literary awards including the Best Translated Book Award, the Northern California Book Award for Translation, the R. R. Hawkins Award for Outstanding Professional, Reference or Scholarly Book, the National Jewish Book Award for Poetry, National Book Critics Circle Award for Poetry, the Helen and Kurt Wolff Translator's Prize, and Griffin Poetry Prize. Others have received additional support from the Lannan Foundation, or been named one of the New York Public Library's annual list of "25 Books to Remember".
Previously known as the PEN Translation Fund Grants, the awards were renamed in honor of Heim, who insisted on complete anonymity, after his passing in 2012.
List of recipients.
2004.
The names of ten winners were announced. The voting members of the Advisory Board were Esther Allen, Sara Bershtel, Barbara Epler, Michael Henry Heim, and Eliot Weinberger.
2005.
The names of thirteen winners were announced. The voting members of the Advisory Board were Esther Allen, Sara Bershtel, Barbara Epler, Michael Henry Heim, and Eliot Weinberger.
2006.
The names of nine winners were announced. The voting members of the Advisory Board were Esther Allen, Sara Bershtel, Barbara Epler, Michael Henry Heim, Michael F. Moore, Richard Sieburth, and Eliot Weinberger.
2007.
The names of ten winners were announced. The voting members of the Advisory Board were Esther Allen, Sara Bershtel, Barbara Epler, Michael Henry Heim, Michael F. Moore, Richard Sieburth, and Eliot Weinberger.
2008.
The names of eight winners were announced.
The voting members of the Advisory Board were Sara Bershtel, Edwin Frank, Michael Henry Heim, Michael F. Moore, Richard Sieburth and Jeffrey Yang, and Esther Allen served as the non-voting Chair.
2009.
The names of eleven winners were announced.
The voting members of the Advisory Board were Sara Bershtel, Edwin Frank, Michael Henry Heim, Michael F. Moore, Richard Sieburth, and Jeffrey Yang, and Esther Allen served as the non-voting Chair.
2010.
The names of eleven winners were announced.
The voting members of the Advisory Board were Esther Allen, David Bellos, Susan Bernofsky, Edwin Frank, Michael F. Moore, and Jeffrey Yang.
2011.
The names of eleven winners were announced.
The voting members of the Advisory Board were David Bellos, Susan Bernofsky, Edwin Frank, Michael Reynolds, Natasha Wimmer, and Jeffrey Yang, and Michael F. Moore served as the non-voting Chair.
2012.
The names of thirteen winners were announced.
The voting members of the Advisory Board were Susan Bernofsky, Barbara Epler, Edwin Frank, Michael Reynolds, Richard Sieburth, Eliot Weinberger, and Natasha Wimmer, and Michael F. Moore served as the non-voting Chair.
For a NYSCA grant, the Fund also nominated Ana Božičević for Zvonko Karanović's "It Was Easy to Set the Snow on Fire".
2013.
The names of thirteen winners were announced. The voting members of the Advisory Board were Susan Bernofsky, Barbara Epler, Richard Sieburth, Lauren Wein, Eliot Weinberger, Natasha Wimmer, and Matvei Yankelvich, and Michael F. Moore served as the non-voting Chair.
For a NYSCA grant, the Fund also nominated Iza Wojciechowska for Anna Piwkowska's "Farbiarka (The Dye Girl)".
2014.
The names of fifteen winners were announced. The voting members of the Advisory Board were Esther Allen, Barbara Epler, Sara Khalili, Michael F. Moore, Lauren Wein, and Lorin Stein.
For NYSCA grants, the Fund nominated Edna McCown for Ursula Krechel's "Shanghai, far from where" and Yvette Siegert for Alejandra Pizarnik's "Diana's Tree" (Ugly Duckling Presse).
2015.
The names of sixteen winners were announced. The voting members of the Advisory Board were Esther Allen, Mitzi Angel, Peter Blackstock, Howard Goldblatt, Sara Khalili, Michael F. Moore, Declan Spring, and Alex Zucker.
2016.
The names of fourteen winners were announced. The voting members of the Advisory Board were Esther Allen, Peter Blackstock, Sara Khalili, Tynan Kogane, Allison Markin Powell, Antonio Romani, Chip Rossetti, and Alex Zucker. Each winner was given $3,670.00.
2017.
The names of fifteen winners were announced. The voting members of the Advisory Board were Tyan Kogane, Edna McCrown, Fiona McCrae, Canaan Morse, Idra Novey, Allison Markin Powell, Antonio Romani, Chip Rossetti, Shabham Nadiya, and Ross Ufberg.