Exploring the presence of smaller literatures in two British prizes for literary translation

Abstract

This article offers an overview of the visibility of smaller literatures in two prominent British literary translation awards: the Oxford-Weidenfeld Prize and the Warwick Prize for Women in Translation. In contextualizing this exploratory study through a brief recapitulation of the concept of smaller literatures within broader notions of world literature, attention is also paid to the increasing popularity of scholarship on translation prizes, before the British literary translation scene is presented and summarized. After outlining the form, scope, and stated aims of the two prizes, the methodology of the study is introduced, together with any possible limitations. Subsequently, and adopting a literature-based approach, the relevant websites for both awards are scrutinized to obtain the necessary data. This is then analysed and discussed, with the aim of ascertaining the extent to which smaller literatures can be said to be present in the two prizes. Finally, some preliminary conclusions and suggestions for further research on the subject are outlined.