The American Literary Translators Association (ALTA) is delighted to announce the shortlist for the 2016 Italian Prose in Translation Award. Starting in 2015, the Italian Prose in Translation Award (IPTA) recognizes the importance of contemporary Italian prose (fiction and literary non-fiction) and promotes the translation of Italian works into English. This prize is awarded annually to a translator of a recent work of Italian prose (fiction or literary non-fiction). This year’s judges are Michael Moore, Jamie Richards, and Russell Valentino.

The award-winning book and translator for 2016 will receive a $5,000 cash prize, and the award will be announced during ALTA’s annual conference, ALTA39: Translation & Crossings, held this year at the Marriott Oakland City Center in Oakland, CA from October 6-9, 2016. If you can’t join us in person, follow our Twitter (@LitTranslate) and Facebook (www.facebook.com/literarytranslators) for the announcement of the winners!

We’ll be featuring each of these shortlist titles on the ALTA blog with reviews written by the judges: www.literarytranslators.org/blog.

The 2016 Italian Prose in Translation Shortlist (in alphabetical order by title):

Hollow Heart
By Viola Di Grado
Translated from the Italian by Antony Shugaar
(Europa Editions)

The Story of the Lost Child
By Elena Ferrante
Translated from the Italian by Ann Goldstein
(Europa Editions)

Tristano Dies: A Life
By Antonio Tabucchi
Translated from the Italian by Elizabeth Harris
(Archipelago Books)