One Night in Frankfurt: Scenes From the Incomparable Heinrich Maria Ledig-Rowohlt Translation Prize Dinner

The Frankfurt Book Fair is one of the largest and most important international book fairs, held annually in Frankfurt, Germany. It began in October 1986 when the author first attended. The fair lasts several days and includes meetings, discussions, and events for publishers, authors, and translators from around the world. The last day of the fair features a special dinner to honor translators, known as the Heinrich Maria Ledig-Rowohlt Translation Prize Dinner. This event is significant because it shifts the focus from business discussions to celebrating the literary work of translation, which is central to bringing books to new audiences.

Heinrich Maria Ledig-Rowohlt was a prominent German publisher born in 1908 who founded Rowohlt Verlag, one of Germany’s most respected literary publishing houses. He was known for his charisma, elegance, and extensive connections in the publishing world, including friendships with authors like Ernest Hemingway and Thomas Wolfe. After his death, his wife Jane established a foundation in his honor in 1996 to award prizes to translators. The foundation’s annual dinner on the last day of the Frankfurt Book Fair commemorates Ledig-Rowohlt and recognizes the vital role of translators in literature.

The Heinrich Maria Ledig-Rowohlt Translation Prize was created to honor translators for their essential work in bringing literary texts from one language to another. Each year, the prize recognizes translators who have made significant contributions to literature by translating works into German. The prize is awarded during a dinner on the final night of the Frankfurt Book Fair, providing an opportunity to reflect on the importance of translation in making literature accessible to new audiences. The event also serves as a moment of respite from the fair’s business-focused atmosphere.

The Heinrich Maria Ledig-Rowohlt Translation Prize Dinner is described as a warm, reflective, and celebratory event held in Frankfurt. It takes place on the last night of the book fair, offering a contrast to the week’s intense business activities. Attendees include publishers, translators, and literary professionals who gather to honor the winners of the translation prize. The dinner features speeches that are often insightful, humorous, and moving, emphasizing the value of translation in literature. The event is also a way to remember and celebrate Heinrich Maria Ledig-Rowohlt’s legacy.

Jo Lendle, the publisher of Hanser Verlag, delivered a speech in 2024 praising Stephan Kleiner, the winner of the Heinrich Maria Ledig-Rowohlt Translation Prize. Lendle used humor and metaphor to describe Kleiner’s work, comparing him to an outsider who eventually embraced the literary community. He highlighted Kleiner’s versatility in translating works by authors such as Irvine Welsh, Keith Gessen, Michel Houellebecq, Tao Lin, and Charlie Kaufman. Lendle also referenced Kleiner’s background as an editor and his mastery of complex linguistic challenges, including wordplay and humor in translations.

Stephan Kleiner is a translator who won the Heinrich Maria Ledig-Rowohlt Translation Prize in 2024. His journey into translation began with a lack of aptitude for mathematics, leading him to focus on languages. He studied French and later English, developing a passion for decoding texts and understanding foreign languages. Kleiner’s early exposure to literature included reading J.R.R. Tolkien’s The Hobbit and Irvine Welsh’s dialect-heavy works, which shaped his approach to translation. He described translation as a process driven by curiosity and the desire to uncover the secrets of a text.

The article highlights the challenges faced by translators, particularly when dealing with complex or humorous texts. Stephan Kleiner’s work on Charlie Kaufman’s Antkind is cited as an example of the difficulties involved in translating wordplay, puns, and cultural references. Kleiner’s translation of Antkind required navigating a novel filled with misunderstandings and linguistic quirks, including a focus on shoes and designer brands. His ability to handle such challenges earned him recognition in the translation community. The speech by Jo Lendle emphasized Kleiner’s skill in making seemingly untranslatable elements accessible to German readers.

Jo Lendle used the metaphor of shoes to explain the process of translation. He compared finding the right translation to finding a matching shoe—original and reflection, the same yet different. Lendle suggested that while a 3D-printed shoe might look identical, it lacks the soul and functionality of a real shoe. Similarly, a translation must capture not just the words but the essence of the original text. This metaphor underscored the idea that translation is not just about replacing words but about preserving the spirit and meaning of the work.