The Joseph Brodsky/Stephen Spender Prize for the translation of Russian poetry into English

Deadline for submitting entries: Aug. 31, 2012

In the 1960s, English poet Stephen Spender knew Joseph Brodsky only by reputation, as a poet imprisoned in the Soviet Union. They met for the first time in 1972 when W. H. Auden brought Brodsky, who had been expelled a few days earlier from his country, to London to the Poetry International and they stayed with the Spenders. There was an instant connection. The Joseph Brodsky/Stephen Spender Prize, instigated by Maria Brodsky and Natasha Spender, celebrates the poets' long friendship and the rich tradition of Russian poetry.
The judges of the 2012 competition are Sasha Dugdale, Catriona Kelly and Glyn Maxwell, who will award the following prizes: £1,500 (first), £1,000 (second) and £500 (third).

Entrants are invited to submit an English translation of a published Russian poem, together with a commentary of no more than 300 words. The submitted translation should be no more than 100 lines long, so entrants may submit an extract if their chosen poem is longer. Self-translation is not accepted. Collaborations are permitted so long as the names of all the collaborators are declared on the entry form.

Entries may be submitted by post or e-mail. Each entry must comprise the following:
- the translation
- the original Russian
- the commentary
For more information on how to submit the entries please refer to this link.

Robina Pelham Burn, Director
The Stephen Spender Trust
address: 3 Old Wish Road
Eastbourne BN21 4JX (UK)
tel.: 01323 452294
e-mail: info@brodskyspender.org