The British Comparative Literature Association organises a translation competition in memory of the first British poet laureate John Dryden (1631–1700), who was a literary critic, translator, and playwright as well as a poet. Sponsored jointly with the British Centre for Literary Translation at the University of East Anglia, the John Dryden Translation Competition awards prizes for unpublished literary translations from any language into English. Literary translation includes poetry, prose, or drama from any period. There are three prizes of £350, £200, and £100; other entries may receive commendations. All three prizes also include one-year BCLA membership.

Prize-winners are announced in the summer on the BCLA website and prizes are presented thereafter every year. Winning entries are published in full on the website, and extracts from winning entries are also eligible for publication in Comparative Critical Studies.

Assisted by competent bilingual readers specialising in the literatures for which entries are received, the judges are selected from the following:

Dr Glyn Hambrook (Senior Lecturer, University of Wolverhampton and Editor, Comparative Critical Studies)

Dr Maike Oergel (Associate Professor, University of Nottingham and Editor, Comparative Critical Studies)

Dr Stuart Gillespie (Reader, University of Glasgow and Founding Editor, Translation and Literature)

Dr Glyn Pursglove (Reader, Swansea University and General Editor, The Swansea Review)

Martin Sorrell (Translator)

Robert Chandler (Translator)

See the winners of the John Dryden Translation Competition for 2013-2014.

Conditions for entry:

1. Entries must be translations of (extracts from) literary works, e.g. novel, short story, essay, drama, poetry, prose. The existence of copyright in any work places no restriction on its translation but only, in some cases, on publication of a translation. (Copyright clearance for winning entries may be effected after winners are announced.)
2. Entries must be the original work of the translator and must not, as a whole or in part, have been previously published or accepted for publication, including web or self-publication, or broadcast. They must not have been entered for any other competition. Entries may be the collective work of any number of translators.
3. Entries must be submitted in hard copy and electronic format. Each entry must be submitted with a separate entry form. If we receive your electronic entry but not your hard copy entry, this will count as a non-submission.
4. Each hard copy entry must consist of a) one copy of the source text; b) one copy of the translated text; c) the correctly completed entry form; d) the correct entry fee.
5. Each electronic entry must consist of a) one copy of the translated text in Word format with the filename: your last name + title of source text + source language; b) one copy of the entry form with the filename: your last name + ‘entry form’. c) we would also appreciate it if you could send an electronic copy of the source text, filename: title of source text. Email to: DrydenTranslationCompetition@city.ac.uk, with ‘Dryden competition entry’ in the subject line. Each translation entry will be saved as an anonymised file.
6. The source text must carry the name of its author and the title, and must be page-numbered. There must be nothing on it which might identify the translator.
7. Your translation must be double-spaced and on A4 sheets / format (or near equivalent). It must not exceed 20 pages. An excerpt or excerpts from longer works may be submitted but must not exceed this limit. The translation must be page-numbered and carry a title and there must be nothing on it which might identify the translator.
8. The hard copy source text and the hard copy translation should each be stapled; please do not send loose sheets. Texts should not be stapled to one another or to cheques, banknotes or entry forms.
9. The entry fee of £7 sterling for one, £12 for two or £16 for three entries should be in the form of 1) a cheque drawn on a British bank payable to the John Dryden Translation Competition, 2) an International Money Order, 3) a postal order, or 4) sterling banknotes/coins (this, though discouraged by postal authorities, may be used in countries where other forms of payment are difficult to arrange). Please do not send payments in any other currency or in any other form than the four given. We are unable to accept electronic payments.
10. Translations from different languages or from different genres should be treated as separate entries. A maximum of three entries may be submitted per entrant.
11. There are no limitations on entrants with respect to age, nationality, place of residence, or professional status. No organiser, judge, reader or their relatives may enter.
12. If you wish your electronic entry to be acknowledged, please use the ‘Request a Read Receipt’ function in your email.
13. No entries will be returned, and correspondence cannot be entered into once entries have been received.
14. The decision of the Judges is final. We regret that no feedback on entries can be provided.
15. Any entries received after the closing date will, if eligible, be entered into next year’s competition.
16. Entry into the competition signifies acceptance of all the rules.

If you join the BCLA between 1 July 2014 and 31 January 2015, you may submit one entry free of charge for the John Dryden Translation Competition for the 2014–2015 period. Please note this on your entry form (download the John Dryden Translation Competition 2014-2015 Entry Form).

The closing date for receipt of entries for 2014-2015 is 16 February 2015.

Entries, each consisting of source text, your translation, an entry form, and the entry fee, should be sent to:

Dr Karen Seago
Department of Culture and Creative Industries
School of Arts and Social Sciences, City University London
London, EC1V 0HB, UK

Contact DrydenTranslationCompetition@city.ac.uk for more information.