Translation Contests

Please click below for more information about the literary translation contests for students at the University of Michigan.

Department of Classical Studies: The Phillips Classical Prize and the Modern Greek Prize

The Phillips Classical Prizes in Latin & Ancient Greek are a long-standing tradition in the
Department of Classical Studies to promote and encourage the study of ancient languages. They originate from an endowed scholarship fund, bequeathed to the Department in the will of Henry Phillips, who died in 1895. The prizes are awarded annually to outstanding undergraduates who, by virtue of a special exam, prove their excellence in the various levels of Latin or Ancient Greek. The Modern Greek Prizes have been awarded annually since 1993 to undergraduate students at intermediate and advanced intermediate levels for excellence demonstrated in Modern Greek translation.

Department of Comparative Literature: Senior Prize in Literary Translation

Each year the Department of Comparative Literature invites graduating seniors across the University of Michigan to participate in the Senior Prize in Literary Translation. This prize is intended to encourage undergraduate students to develop translation projects through translating into English a literary text originally written in another language.

Context for Classics: Classical Translations Contest

Students in all departments and programs (graduate and undergraduate) across the University of Michigan are invited to submit literary translations of texts from Latin, Ancient Greek, and Modern Greek. We know that there are many people inspired by the beauty of these languages who wish to render them more freely and creatively than classwork often involves. This contest is intended to highlight the work of students who are interested in the process of translation as a creative, intellectually meaningful enterprise.

Department of Germanic Languages and Literatures: Open-Book Translation Contest

All undergraduate University of Michigan students currently enrolled in a German course or who are registered as a German major or minor are welcome to participate. The contest will be held under the same conditions used by the American Translators Association (ATA) for its certification exam. Students will have 70 minutes to translate a text by hand that will be provided for them. The translation will be from German to English. The contest will be held in “open book” format. Students will not have access to the internet, but may bring and use as many hardback or paperback dictionaries as they wish. All students receive the same text, which will be approximately 225-275 words in length.