Spain-based professor Mireia Vargas-Urpí has won the 2023 PEN Català Translation Award for her Catalan translation of the novel “The Man with the Compound Eyes” (複眼人) by Taiwanese author Wu Ming-yi (吳明益). The announcement of the winner of the translation award was made on Sept. 29. PEN Català, founded in 1922, is a platform that promotes writers and literature from Catalan-speaking territories.
The Ministry of Culture said that exceptional Taiwanese literary works are getting recognized globally through cross-border translation and publication. “The Man with the Compound Eyes” was published in 2011 and subsequently introduced into the international market. It was the first Taiwanese novel whose copyright was acquired by international mainstream publishers, then translated into multiple languages and successfully published in the U.K., U.S., Italy, Sweden, Poland, Hungary, the Czech Republic, Indonesia, and other countries. The Catalan version of the novel, published in 2022, is the 18th translation. The translator, Mireia Vargas-Urpí, is a professor of the Department of Translation and Interpreting and East Asian Studies at the Autonomous University of Barcelona. Her portfolio includes translated works of Taiwanese authors Sanmao (三毛) and Li Ang (李昂).
Wu Ming-yi is an award-winning author, professor, and naturalist whose works encompass fiction, prose, literary theory, and essays. “The Man with the Compound Eyes” is a magical fable based on Wu's concerns on humanity and environment. Beautifully weaving a world of a blurred lines between imagination and reality, the 2011 release reflects his critical analysis on the island of Taiwan from subtle historical and cultural perspectives.
As “PEN” is abbreviated from “Poet, Playwright, Editor, Essayist, Novelist”, PEN Català emphasizes the role of literary works in the development of the world culture. By collecting outstanding literary works translated into Catalan, this platform started presenting translation awards in 2016, aspiring to honor and applaud professional translators who are creating bridges among cultures.
To see more about the 2023 PEN Català Translation Award, please visit its website.