The Mikael Agricola Prize 2016 has been awarded to Vappu Orlov for her translation of Mikhail Shishkin’s novel Neidonhius (Венерин Волос; in English published as Maidenhair). The annual award is granted to an outstanding Finnish translation of a significant work of fiction.
According to the jury, Orlov’s skilful and inventive translation flows lyrically, reading as though it were originally written in Finnish. Besides being an outstanding literary translator, Orlov is also famous as a copyeditor of quality fiction.
The J. A. Hollo Prize is given annually to an exceptionally high-quality translation of a non-fiction book into Finnish. In 2016 it was granted to Renja Salminen for her 2015 translation of Michel de Montaigne’s Esseitä osa III (Essays, part III). The third volume of Montaigne’s essays crowns Salminen’s vast undertaking: for the first time all of Montaigne’s essays are now available to Finnish readers. Suominen’s translation of the first volume came out in 2003 whilethe second volume appeared in 2009.
The jury praised Salminen’s translation for its freshness and insight, and for its precise and nuanced tone, its sophistication matching that of the source text. Both awards are administered by the Finnish Association of Translators and Interpreters (SKTL (http://www NULL.sktl NULL.fi/)) and The Finnish Book Publishers Association and are worth €10,000 each. The J.A. Hollo Prize is funded by the Finnish Association of Non-fiction Writers and the Finnish Critics’ Association.
(http://www NULL.ceatl NULL.eu/annual-finnish-translation-prizes-granted-to-vappu-orlov-and-renja-salminen/finland-agricola-and-hollo-awards-2016-apr16)At the Agricola and Hollo awards ceremony 2016: Vappu Orlov (first from left) and Renja Salminen (first from right) celebrating together with their copyeditors Alice Martin (second from left) and Saara Pääkkönen (second from right) from publisher WSOY’s translated fiction department. (Photograph: Maarit Laitinen)