A Border man’s translation of 8th-century Chinese poetry into Scots has impressed 2012 Stephen Spender Prize judges. The national competition challenges people to translate a poem from any modern or classical language into English.

Among the 51 languages entered this year – including Bengali, Tamil, Sicilian, Ukranian, Kurdish, Dutch and Irish – Brian Holton’s “innovative” and “creative” Scots translation of Spring Sun on the Watterside Clachan by the classical Chinese poet Du Fu was commended in the open category.

Brian, a former Galashiels Academy pupil, Selkirk museum curator and presenter on BBC Radio Tweed, is what Borderers would call “a man o’ pairts”. The 63-year old is hailed as the foremost translator from Chinese in his generation, and the only currently-publishing Chinese-Scots translator in the world.

Now living in Melrose, retired from academic teaching posts in the UK and China, Brian can dedicate more time to his Scots and English translations of Chinese poetry – and expand the two-metre long line of his own books on the shelf. More.

See: The Southern Reporter