Manel Rodríguez-Castelló and Ediciones Contrabando awarded the Etxepare – LABORAL Kutxa Translation Prize

´Glosak·Glossar el Món´ is a selection of poems written by author Tere Irastortza between 1980 and 2023. The book was published last year by the Valencia-based imprint Ediciones Contrabando in a bilingual Catalan–Basque edition, with translation by Manel Rodríguez-Castelló. It is precisely for this volume that the translator and publisher have been awarded this year’s Etxepare – LABORAL Kutxa Translation Prize.

The book covers the 43-year-long poetry career of Tere Irastortza (Zaldibia, 1961). Irastortza published her first collection of poems, ´Gabeziak´, in 1980 and has since released 10 more titles. In ´Glosak·Glossar el Món´, readers will find a wide selection of poems from her previous works, along with unpublished poems that complete this retrospective look at her literary career.

The translator and publisher received the award from Irene Larraza, director of the Etxepare Basque Institute, and Jokin Gorriti, representing LABORAL Kutxa, during a ceremony held this morning at the Bidebarrieta Central Library in Bilbao. The event was also attended by the author, Tere Irastortza, as well as Andoni Iturbe, the Basque Government’s Deputy Minister for Culture.

The Etxepare - LABORAL Kutxa Translation Prize Translation Prize was established in 2015 to recognise the best translation of a literary work originally written and published in Basque each year. It values both the quality of the translation and the promotional efforts made by the publishing house.

In the words of the jury, the translation of ´Glosak-Glossar el Món´ was "excellent, impeccable in terms of language, easy to read, and faithful to the style of the original text". They further described the work as respecting the poetic forms intended by the author, and valued the effort to seek natural solutions in Catalan that respond to the spirit of the poem in Basque. The members of the jury acknowledged other aspects as well, including the care taken in producing a bilingual edition.

The jury of the eleventh edition of the prize was made up of Jokin Gorriti, representing LABORAL Kutxa; Imanol Otaegi, Director for the Promotion and Dissemination of Basque Culture of the Etxepare Basque Institute; Elizabete Manterola, University of the Basque Country professor and member of EIZIE (Association of Translators, Proofreaders and Interpreters of the Basque Language); Zuriñe Sanz, University of the Basque Country professor and member of EIZIE; and Mikel Lasa, Communications Director for the Etxepare Basque Institute.

During the award ceremony, Irene Larraza, director of the Etxepare Basque Institute, emphasised the importance of translation in promoting Basque literature beyond our borders: "Literary translation is a gateway to the world: it allows our literature to travel, engage in dialogue with other languages and cultures, and showcase the creativity and talent of our writers". Jokin Gorriti, representative of LABORAL Kutxa, highlighted the credit union´s commitment to promoting Basque culture: "For LABORAL Kutxa, promoting culture and the Basque language isn´t just a small part of what we do – it’s a core part of our identity that sets us apart as an organisation and adds real meaning and value to our work".

The Etxepare – LABORAL Kutxa Translation Prize

The Etxepare – LABORAL Kutxa Translation Prize was created in 2015 by the Etxepare Basque Institute in collaboration with LABORAL Kutxa. The award is intended to recognise the translation of literary works originally written and published in Basque. Translation is the bridge that enables Basque writers and their work to reach an international audience. With this award, both organisations seek to shine a light on the often overlooked work of the translator, and to reward the commitment of publishers to the translation of literature in Basque

The competition is open to translators and publishers from around the world who meet the following criteria: the translation must have been published in the previous year (2024 in this case), and it must be the translation of a literary work originally written and published in Basque

The €4,000 prize is awarded based on the translation’s quality and the publisher’s marketing efforts, and is therefore shared equally between the publisher and the translator. In addition to the prize money, winners can receive up to €2,000 to attend the award ceremony or to support promotional activities (such as presentations, advertising campaigns, etc.) in the country where the winning edition was published.

This award enhances the Etxepare Basque Institute’s ongoing efforts to promote and share Basque culture. In the field of literature, the Institute offers grants for translating works and literary samples into various languages, provides travel stipends for Basque writers, and actively promotes the involvement of Basque writers in international book fairs and literature festivals.

With this award, LABORAL Kutxa reaffirms its commitment to the Basque language and culture, strengthening a partnership that supports literary creation and promotes its dissemination.

Manel Rodríguez-Castelló

Manel Rodríguez-Castelló (Alcoy, 1958) holds a degree in Hispanic Philology from the University of Valencia and worked as a secondary school teacher of the Catalan language from 1983 until his retirement in 2018. He is the author of several poetry collections and has written numerous opinion pieces, as well as literary criticism and essays.

Rodríguez-Castelló has translated poems from English by Scottish poet Norman McCaig (Edinburgh, 1910-1996), which appeared in the Valencian magazine ‘L´Aiguadolç’ (no. 51, Autumn 2022), and by Scotsman Allan Riach (Lanarkshire, 1957), whose book ´La poesia escocesa moderna / Modern Scottish Poetry´ he coordinated in 2022. In the 1980s, he translated several titles from French, including ´L´assassí de papà´, ´Un amor màgic´, and ´Carles és un brut mentider´, all for the publishing house Tàndem. His first translation from Basque was the volume entitled ´Muga´ (Editorial Pruna-Edicions del Buc, 2021), which included poems by four Basque poets: Felipe Juaristi, Juan Ramon Makuso, Pello Otxoteko and Aritz Gorrotxategi.

Ediciones Contrabando

Founded in Valencia in early 2013, Ediciones Contrabando aims to serve as a new platform for unique, high-quality voices in narrative, essays, and poetry. It focuses on authors from the Iberian Peninsula and South America who produce unconventional work and are dedicated to taking risks and pushing creative boundaries. The Marte collection, in turn, was created at Contrabando in 2015 to strengthen ties between the diverse voices of the languages of the Iberian Peninsula. Since then, it has built up a high-quality collection of poetry, focusing on original bilingual publications in the languages of the Iberian Peninsula. Such is the case of Tere Irastortza with the two-volume ´Glosak·Glosar el mundo´ in Spanish / Euskara – translated by the author herself ‒ and ´Glosak·Glossar el Món´ in Catalan / Euskara – translated by Manel Rodríguez-Castelló. 

Previous winners:

2024
Estibaliz Lizaso and Pol·len edicions
‘Kontrako eztarritik’ (Uxue Alberdi)
Essay, Catalan

2023
Amaia Gabantxo and Parthian Books
‘Hezurren erretura’ (Miren Agur Meabe)
Novel, English

2022
Mariolein Sabarte Belacortu and Zirimiri Press
‘Amek ez dute’ (Katixa Agirre)
Novel, Dutch

2021
Nami Kaneko and Shinchosha
‘Soinujolearen semea’ (Bernardo Atxaga)
Novel, Japanese

2020
Eider Rodriguez & Lander Garro and Literatura Random House
‘Bihotz Handiegia’ (Eider Rodriguez)
Stories, Spanish

2019
Ainara Munt and Pol·len edicions
‘Hilda dago poesia?’ (Joseba Sarrionandia)
Poetry, Catalan

2018
Amaia Gabantxo and Center for Basque Studies
‘Harri eta Herri’ and ‘Maldan Behera’ (Gabriel Aresti)
Poetry
English

2017
Yaroslav Gubarev and Anetta Antonenko
‘Behi euskaldun baten memoriak’ (Bernado Atxaga)
Novel, Ukranian

2016
Nami Kaneko and Hakusuisha
‘Mussche’ (Kirmen Uribe)
Novel, Japonese

2015
Isaac Xubín and Kalandraka
‘Tempo de exilio’ (Joseba Sarrionandia)
Poetry anthology, Galician