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We collaborate on a range of projects and with various organisations, some of which are listed below.

The Marsh Award for Children’s Literature in Translation

The Marsh Award for Children’s Literature in Translation is awarded biennially to the translator of the best translation of a children’s book from a foreign language into English, published in the UK by a British publishing company. The Award, established in 1995 to raise public awareness of translations for children and to encourage children’s publishers to commission translations, is sponsored by the Marsh Christian Trust and the Arts Council. Gillian Lathey of NCRCL at Roehampton University has worked as administrator and is a judge of this year's award.

THIS YEAR'S AWARD

On Tuesday 20 January the sixth biennial Marsh Award for Children’s Literature in Translation was presented to Sarah Ardizzone for her translation from French of Timothée de Fombelle’s Toby Alone (Walker Books). Anthony Horowitz gave an excellent speech on the symbiotic relationship between author and translator, despite being upstaged an hour earlier by Barack Obama. Judges – Patricia Crampton, Wendy Cooling, Colin Niven and Gillian Lathey – commented that Toby Alone is a ‘highly original book’, a story ‘set in a miniature world that can be read on many levels’. Administered by the English-Speaking Union and generously sponsored by the Marsh Christian Trust, the Award continues to draw attention to the quality of translated books and to raise the profile of translation.

SHORTLIST FOR THIS YEAR'S AWARD: 

Translated from French

Timothée de Fombelle  Toby Alone    trans. Sarah Ardizzone                      Walker Books

Valérie Zenatti        Message in a Bottle trans. Adriana Hunter                    Bloomsbury

Translated from Greek

Alki Zei                     Tina’s Web       trans. John Thornley                           Aurora Metro

Translated from Italian

Francesco D’Adamo     My Brother Johnny   trans. Sian Williams               Aurora Metro

Translated from Spanish

Enrique Pérez Díaz     Letters from Alain        trans. Simon Breden              Aurora Metro 

Translated from Swedish

Henning Mankell     When the Snow Fell     trans. Laurie Thompson          Andersen Press

Past winners are:

• 1996: Anthea Bell for her translation from German of Christine Nöstlinger’s A Dog’s Life
• 1999: Patricia Crampton in 1999 for her translation from German of Gudrun Pausewang’s A Final Journey
• 2001: Betsy Rosenberg for her translation from Hebrew of David Grossman’s Duel
• 2003: Anthea Bell for her translation from German of Hans Magnus Enzensberger’s Where Were You Robert?
• 2005: Sarah Adams for her translation from French of Eye of the Wolf by Daniel Pennac
• 2007: Anthea Bell for her translation from German of The Flowing Queen by Kai Meyer.

All winners of the prize have demonstrated that translating for children is a particular art, requiring an understanding of the language patterns and modes of address best suited to child readers.

Judges (Anthea Bell, Julia Eccleshare, Patricia Crampton, Wendy Cooling and Elizabeth Hammill have all joined the panel at different times), have generously devoted their time, patience and expertise to the task of selecting winning translations, and lively and thought-provoking presentation speeches by Michael Morpurgo, Philip Pullman, David Almond, Aidan Chambers and in 2007 Wendy Cooling, are available in past issues of School Librarian. 

The submission date for the seventh Marsh Award is 30 June 2008, and the Award ceremony will be held in January 2009. For further details please contact Gillian Lathey (email: G.Lathey@roehampton.ac.uk).

British Section of IBBY

The NCRCL has close links with the British Section of The International Board on Books for Young People (IBBY). Several members of the NCRCL team have sat on the British IBBY Committee and the NCRCL and British IBBY stage an annual NCRCL/IBBY Conference at Roehampton University.

IBBY is an international network and forum for people working in all areas connected with children's books and reading. It aims to promote international understanding through children's literature, and to ensure that children everywhere have access to good books.

IBBY is responsible for the Hans Christian Andersen Awards, presented every two years to a living author and illustrator for their complete work. IBBY publishes the children's literature journal, Bookbird, and organises a biennial International Congress. It has a strong commitment to supporting the growth of children's literature and literacy in developing countries

Ann Lazim is the British IBBY chair.

For membership details and an application form to join the British Section of IBBY contact:
British Section of IBBY
PO Box 20875
London SE22 9WQ
Email: ann@lazim.demon.co.uk
For further details see the IBBY website.

Discussion list set up by Roehampton/NCRCL staff

Our own discussion list, children-literature-uk was originally created to provide a space where children's literature issues with a specifically UK focus or starting point could be aired, but of course children's books (and those who study them) refuse to stay within national boundaries, and we have members from all over the world.