Winning Work

”Bouvard et Pécuchet”

Gustave Flaubert, Sakuhinsha, 2019

Mr. Sugaya has been highly acclaimed domestically and internationally as an outstanding researcher of Flaubert, and we consider his new translation to be a definitive translation that was presented to the world by a researcher at the forefront of his field.
The original book is an unfinished novel that Flaubert wrote in his final years, and many literary critics, like Michel Foucault, gave attention to its modernity and its importance, but on the other hand, the Japanese readers thus far have not quite welcomed the elusive quality of the novel. It would not be an exaggeration to say that this new translation has finally revealed all of the novel’s aspects. And another important achievement, in addition to the accuracy of the translation and the significant academic validity of the translation notes, was that he succeeded, with the character of his scholarship, in delivering a piece of literature, once thought to be difficult and uncomfortable to read, to the general readership. The novel, with its great impact on world literature, deserves to be read in this era, and we commend Mr. Sugaya for brilliantly reworking an unread masterpiece into a piece of literature that is very much worth reading, and have decided to award him the 26th Konishi Prize of Literary Translation.

Winning Work

Long Years of Translation in Modern French Literature

Mr. Nozaki has introduced many diverse works of literature with his high quality translations, from 19th century novel authors, such as Nerval, of whom Mr. Nozaki is a specialist, Balzac, and Stendhal to modern French literature authors, such as Jean-Philippe Toussaint and Michel Houellebecq. His long years of translation have greatly contributed to not only French literature in Japan, but to the world of literature as a whole, and we have decided to award him the Special Prize to pay tribute to his achievements.

Winning Work

”À la recherche du temps perdu”, All 14 Vols.

Marcel Proust, Iwanami Shoten, 2010~2019

Mr. Yoshikawa’s translation of À la recherche du temps perdu marks the third complete translation of the novel.
His accurate translation faithfully transmutes the flow of the original, and it includes substantial commentary that makes it possible to view the story through multiple complex angles and detailed diagrams and notes that help the reader understand the novel. We have decided to give Mr. Yoshikawa the Special Award for his achievement in producing more fans of Proust with his precise and clear translation.