The Tyranny of Translation: Francophone Authorship and Anglophone Awards

Awards for works of literature in translation are becoming ever more prolific, and the result is often a lucrative form of praise that contributes to the reputation of the novel on an international scale. Such awards can afford a literary text multiple lives, prolonging the possibilities for recognition far beyond the eventful moment of the novel’s initial publication. However, while these prestigious prizes may be a boon to an author’s career and propel a body of work toward canonical status, they may also bolster the impression that a text is only worthy of recognition if it has been translated. And the primacy of English in this process is undeniable.