Two international publishers, Two Lines Press and Peirene Press, have announced the selected work for the 2026 Stevns Translation Prize - opening up a major opportunity for emerging Vietnamese translators who have not yet published a full - length literary translation.
On November 4, 2025, the two renowned publishers revealed that The Museum of Hair (Bảo Tàng Lông) by Vietnamese author Maik Cây has been chosen as the text for translation in this year’s competition. The Stevns Translation Prize aims to discover, encourage, and celebrate new voices in literary translation from Vietnamese into English.
Author Maik Cây.
The winner will receive a translation contract worth USD 6,400 (GBP 4,800) to complete the full translation of the novel, which will be published by Two Lines Press in North America and Peirene Press in the United Kingdom. The prize package also includes a residency at an 18th-century house at the foot of the French Pyrenees, a six-month mentorship with an established literary translator, and travel funding of up to USD 1,000.
The selected work, The Museum of Hair, is a haunting and imaginative novel by Maik Cây, a Hanoi-based writer and independent filmmaker. The story centers on Trần Bích Băng, a reclusive queer artist who, after her death, leaves behind a secret archive of women’s hair - each strand holding a memory of longing and connection. Through eight interwoven narratives told by those who crossed paths with her, the novel explores the boundaries between art, memory, and the act of resurrecting what has been erased.
Applicants are required to submit a translation of a selected excerpt from the novel, along with a 500-word translator’s note. This year’s judging panel features acclaimed translator Nguyễn An Lý - known for her English translations of Chinatown by Thuận and The Chronicle of Water by Nguyễn Ngọc Tư - alongside author and translator Vi Khi Nao. A third judge will be announced later.
Submissions open on November 4, 2025, at www.stevnstranslationprize.com and close on February 1, 2026. The shortlist and final winner will be announced in early March 2026.
Established in 2018, the Stevns Translation Prize is an annual initiative that builds bridges between world literatures and offers a rare platform for emerging translators. Each translation is seen not only as an act of linguistic transfer but also as a creative journey that brings new life to a literary work across borders.
Translated by MINH KIÊN
VNQD