The Queen Sofía Spanish Institute (QSSI) celebrated its annual award ceremony, “An Evening of Translation,” last night in New York City, announcing Lisa Dillman as the winner of the 2025 Queen Sofía Spanish Institute Translation Prize, accompanied by a $10,000 award, and Eduardo Aparicio as the recipient of the Inaugural Literary Translation Fellowship, created in partnership with Penguin Random House and including a $20,000 grant. Gwendolyn Harper was named runner-up for the Translation Prize for her translation of Pedro Lemebel’s A Last Supper of Queer Apostles: Selected Essays, recognized by the Reading Committee for an ambitious and intrepid project.

The ceremony took place on Thursday, November 20, at the NYU’s Espacio de Culturas, bringing together translators, editors, scholars, students, and members of the general public.

Translation Prize Winner: Lisa Dillman

Lisa Dillman received the 2025 Translation Prize for her English translation of Season of the Swamp by Mexican author Yuri Herrera, published by Graywolf Press. Selected from an exceptional shortlist featuring works by Pedro Lemebel, Alejandro Zambra, María Bastarós, and Munir Hachemi—and translations by renowned translators Megan McDowell, Kevin Gerry Dunn, Julia Sanches, and Gwendolyn Harper—Dillman’s winning work impressed the jury with its remarkable literary quality, linguistic precision, and the longstanding collaboration between Dillman and Herrera. As the jury noted: “Dillman’s translation captures the inventiveness and joy of Herrera’s language, rendering it in playful English that mirrors the original, turning ojalateros into anyluckers […]”. Lisa Dillman accepted the award: “I am so happy and honored to receive this award, to be in the company of so many translators I’ve read and admire, both on the shortlist and on the jury. Thank you very much to the Queen Sofía Spanish Institute, the judges, and obviously to Yuri Herrera for writing Season of the Swamp.”

Inaugural Literary Translation Fellowship: Eduardo Aparicio

The Inaugural Literary Translation Fellowship was awarded to Eduardo Aparicio, who will receive $20,000 to support the full English translation of Las frases robadas by José Luis Sastre. In addition to the financial award, the Fellowship included a publisher’s forum with U.S. editors, designed to connect participating emerging translators with leaders in American publishing and foster direct pathways for dialogue, feedback, and potential future publications.

Ten honorable mentions, each receiving $500, were also presented to outstanding submissions by Lara Norgaard, Madison Felman-Panagotacos, Marialena Carr, Gabriela Rivero, Mikayla Parson, Madiha Ansari, Shaina Brassard, Slava Faybysh, Will Morningstar, and Christopher Dinon.

Manuel Sansigre, CFO of Penguin Random House, presented the fellowship, remarking: “At Penguin Random House, we believe that translation is one of the most powerful forms of cultural exchange. It opens doors for readers to voices and perspectives that might otherwise remain unheard. We are proud to partner with the Queen Sofía Spanish Institute on this new Literary Translation Fellowship, supporting the next generation of translators who will bring the richness of Spanish- language literature to readers around the world. Eduardo Aparicio’s work exemplifies the creativity, precision, and dedication that make literary translation such a vital art form.”

An Evening of Translation

The program featured a conversation with the Translation Prize winner, Lisa Dillman, and runner-up Gwendolyn Harper, and jury member Charlotte Whittle, followed by an audience Q&A and a Spanish cocktail reception. The roundtable discussion addressed the new challenges translators face in the age of AI, which underscored the irreplaceable value of human sensibility, creativity, and cultural insight in literary translation.

Begoña Santos, President and CEO of the Queen Sofía Spanish Institute, reflected on the cultural power of translation by quoting Jorge Luis Borges: “Translation is not a matter of words only: it is a matter of making intelligible a whole culture.” She connected this idea to contemporary culture by referencing Spanish artist Rosalía and the global reach of her recent album LUX, which includes songs in thirteen languages, as a powerful example of how multilingual creation is reshaping today’s pop and social media landscape.

With both the QSSI Translation Prize and the new QSSI Literary Translation Fellowship, the Queen Sofía Spanish Institute reaffirms its commitment to elevating Spanish-language literature and recognizing the vital role translators play in building bridges between cultures.

2025 Queen Sofía Spanish Institute Translation Prize Shortlist:

• A Last Supper of Queer Apostles: Selected Essays by Pedro Lemebel translated by Gwendolyn Harper published by Penguin Classics
• Childish Literature by Alejandro Zambra translated by Megan McDowell published by Penguin Random House /Penguin Books
• Hungry for What by María Bastarós translated by Kevin Gerry published by Daunt Publishing
• Living Things by Munir Hachemi translated by Julia Sanches published by Coach House Books
• Season of the Swamp by Yuri Herrera translated by Lisa Dillman published by Graywolf Press

Link to photos: https://www.dropbox.com/scl/fo/fs5iatgtd7rvnzi1y9t0i/ANaRljQ- ju9kIpRf8GX3t-8?rlkey=xv3xrxgwxco0zy9el1b23td8a&st=9lsrvsi9&dl=0