Translators association honors English-language editions of Italian prose and French poetry

NEW YORK -- The English-language translators of an Italian collection of short stories and a French book of poetry have won awards from the American Literary Translators Association.

Jamie Richards' translation from the Italian of Marosia Castaldi's “The Hunger of Women” was given the National Translation Award for prose, and Cole Swensen's translation from the French of Pierre Alferi's “And the Street” won the poetry award.

Each winner receives $4,000. Richards is a full-time translator, while Swensen is also a prize-winning poet, her books including “Goest” and “Gravesend.”

“We are proud to administer the National Translation Awards, which turn the spotlight on a number of accomplished translators, writers, and the publishers who make it possible for these marvelous books to appear in English," translation association president Chenxin Jiang said in a statement Monday.