Can a culture, an imagination, be deployed in several languages? This is the premise of the review The Great Continentwhich is dedicated to geopolitics but also created a literary prize awarded every year to a work of fiction that is “a great European story”.
This year, the jury crowned German author Martina Hefter for her novel Hey, good morning, how are you? (Hey, hello, how are you?), published by the publisher Klett-Cotta. The novel evokes the virtual dialogue of an artistic performer from Leipzig and an African. At night, this artist with a precarious life, who takes care of a severely disabled husband, chats online on dating sites with a Nigerian who mainly hopes to make money from it.
“Knowing how to handle the confines of virtual reality and everyday reality, Martina Hefter interweaves two desires with rare literary power, the desire for love and the desire for Europe”writes the jury of Grand Continent to explain his choice.
Accelerate the circulation of works
Martina Hefter has not yet been published in French but now has every chance of being published. The prize aims to support the translation of a work of fiction. It rewards a work published in one of the following five languages: French, German, Polish, Spanish or Italian. And it finances its translation into the 4 other languages, provided that a publisher commits to releasing the book within the following year.
“The price aims to cancel the additional cost, for a publisher, linked to the publication of a foreign book. He therefore wants to accelerate the circulation of literary works in Europe”explains Mathieu Roger-Lacan, co-director of the journal.
The reward is supposed “contribute to the emergence of new structuring and founding European stories”indicate its promoters. She deliberately avoids being interested in works in English, Anglo-Saxon literature not needing such support: “Faced with the hyperpower of the Anglosphere publishing market, we believe that translation must remain the language of Europe”say its founders.
A jury in five languages
Translators, teachers and authors from different countries make up the jury. This year, for example, Barbara Cassin, the Italian Giuliano Da Empoli and the Ukrainian Andreï Kourkov sat on it. The jury preselects five books, one per language, and its members translate passages and share their recommendations. He finally meets at the foot of Mont-Blanc to proclaim the winner.
The name of the 2024 winner was announced this Friday, December 6 at Pointe Helbronner, at an altitude of 3,466 meters, as has been customary for three years now. Her competitors were the Frenchman Frédéric Gros, with The first story (Albin Michel), the Pole Mateusz Pakuła, with Grandpa’s leather (The Grandfather’s Skin), the Italian Michele Masneri, with Paradiso (paradise) and the Spaniard Eduardo Halfon, with Tarantula (The tarantula).
