Estonian Foreign Minister Urmas Paet and Latvian Foreign Minister Girts Valdis Kristovskis announced that the competition for recognising the best Latvian and Estonian-language translators is now open. The best translator of 2010 will be announced in February 2011.

The foreign minister added that with the translation award, Estonia and Latvia would like to help express the value of works that have already been translated and inspire young Estonian-Latvian and Latvian-Estonian translators to take on new challenges. “The Estonian-Latvian and Latvian-Estonian translation award emphasises the importance of the Estonian and Latvian languages as well as cultural exchange in order to advance the professionalism of translators of literature as well as political, popular science, historical, sociological, memoirs and other texts,” asserted Paet.

Last year the prize went to Latvian translator Maima Grinberga, who has translated the works of many important Estonian authors into Latvian, including those of Jaan Kross, Enn Veetma, and authors of books for children and young people such as Aidi Vallik, Sass Henno, and Andrus Kivirähk.

The monetary value of the award is 3,000 euros, to which both sides are contributing equally. The jury will contain representatives from the foreign ministries of the two countries and the director of each nation’s literature information centre.

The idea to establish the award came from Estonian Ambassador to Latvia Jaak Jõerüüt and Latvian Ambassador to Estonia Karlis Eihenbaums. The agreement that established the Estonian-Latvian and Latvian-Estonian translation award was signed by Estonian Foreign Minister Urmas Paet and Latvian Foreign Minister Maris Riekstins on 18 February 2009.

Nominees for the translation competition can be submitted through the application form found on the Foreign Ministry’s website. www.vm.ee/sites/default/files/Eesti_lati_tolkeauhinna_vorm.doc

The deadline for nominations is 16 January 2011.