Awarding Translated Books

Occasionally, a book is written that is so outstanding, it must be shared with the rest of the world. Thankfully, some publishers welcome the daunting task of translating those books so that readers may enjoy what they otherwise could not. That hard work is deserving of recognition, and as a result, several awards have been established to recognize the importance of translated literature.

The Mildred L. Batchelder Award is presented annually to an American publisher for a book considered to be the most outstanding of those originally published in a foreign language in a foreign country, but subsequently published in English for children in the United States. Established by the Association for Library Service to Children, the Batchelder Award promotes international collaboration and encourages publishers to seek out exceptional children's books abroad. Recent recipients include A Time of Miracles, A Faraway Island, and Moribito: Guardian of the Spirit. 

In the United Kingdom, translated children's books are recognized biennially by the Marsh Award for Children's Literature in Translation. The award is presented to the translator of the best translation of a children's book into English from a foreign language, published by a British publishing company.

In 2002, the Swedish government established the Astrid Lindgren Memorial Award in honor of the Swedish children's author, Astrid Lindgren. The prize is awarded annually in an effort to increase interest in young people's literature, and it may be awarded to authors, illustrators, or narrators of children's books. The monetary prize given to each recipient makes the Astrid Lindgren Memorial Award one of the richest literary prizes in the world.

The International Board of Books for Young People recognizes outstanding authors and illustrators biennially with the Hans Christian Andersen Award. The award is presented to those deemed to have made a lasting contribution to literature for young people. The prestigious award is considered by many in the literary field to be the Nobel Prize for children's literature.