Armory Square Prize for South Asian Literature in Translation
The Armory Square Prize for South Asian Literature in Translation was created to inspire new directions for translators into English from one of the most diverse, historically complex, and culturally vibrant regions of the world. It awards a talented translator of South Asian literature into English with the publication of their outstanding manuscript.
This award is groundbreaking. It aims to remedy the stark disparities in literary translation worldwide, while cultivating a new generation of literary translators working with South Asian languages and recognizing storytellers from the Indian Subcontinent within the broader literary ecosystem.
Our 2025 competition winners were announced on June 16, 2025. More on it here.
The 2026 Armory Square Prize will focus on retranslations of literary work written after 1930 in any South Asian language. Our hope is to identify previously translated literature that may have been overlooked in the past, and bring fresh life to them with new translations.
The Prize will consider any unpublished book-length retranslation of narrative prose, fiction or nonfiction, including story collections, written in a South Asian language (India, Pakistan, Bangladesh, Nepal, Sri Lanka, Bhutan, Maldives, or part of the diaspora), by an author living or dead. The prize is sponsored by Armory Square Ventures. (Read materials from our 2025 Submissions Call and 2024 winners here, here and here.)
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Application Timeline
2026 theme: Retranslations
December 15, 2025 Applications open
January 2026 Translations Tea (Online meet with jury members and past prize finalists - Date TBD)
February 15, 2026 Applications close
June 5, 2026 Shortlist and Winner announced
October 2026 Winning manuscript delivered
Fall 2027 Open Letter publishes winning book
Eligibility
Translator eligibility: Open to any translator of literature written in a South Asian language.
Retranslations will be considered: Any previously unpublished book-length translation of narrative prose, fiction or nonfiction, including story collections, written in a South Asian language (India, Pakistan, Bangladesh, Nepal, Sri Lanka, Bhutan, Maldives, or part of the diaspora). Note that this year our focus is on literary work by any author, living or dead, that was previously translated into English (anywhere in the world) after the year 1930.
Novellas are also eligible provided they are a minimum of 30,000 words.Note: South Asia is frequently/generally defined as these countries, and we will also consider translations of South Asia diaspora writers. That said, projects that do not necessarily fall under these rubrics but have a well-reasoned argument for being considered 'South Asia' are welcomed as well. Applicants are invited to make a case for projects that fall outside of the above rubrics.
Required Materials
Apply on our website. As part of your submission make sure to include two PDF files in a single email to submissions@armorysv.com. *
The first file must include:
A 1-2 page, single-spaced statement outlining the work and describing its importance.
A biography and bibliography of the original author, including information on translations of their work into other languages.
An 8–10 page, single-spaced sample of the translation. This should be within the range of 3,000-5,000 words.
The same passage in the original language (and, if the work has been previously translated, the same passage in the earlier version with a statement that makes a detailed and specific case for why the work needs to be retranslated).
A detailed plan on how the project will be completed and manuscript delivered in the 4-5 month timeframe after the prize announcement.
*Before you submit the first PDF, please remove your name and any other identifying information from your translation and all other documents.
The second PDF file must include:
A CV of the translator, no longer than 3 pages. If there are two cotranslators, please include both CVs.
If the book is not in the public domain, a scan of the copyright notice on the original, and a letter from the copyright holder stating that English-language rights to the book are available.
A letter from the copyright holder giving permission for a brief excerpt on Words Without Borders should the submission be shortlisted.
Judging criteria
Quality of the translation
Significance and artistic merits of the original work
Relative degree of underrepresentation of the original language
Meets the legal and publication standards of the Prize and its partners
The Prize jury will first and foremost consider the quality of the translation, paying particular attention to creative and artful solutions the translator has found to address the translation challenges posed by the work. The jury will also consider the significance of the original work and its author, and the extent to which the language and author are underrepresented in English.
The Jury
Deena Chalabi is a recognized curator. She has developed exhibitions, commissioned projects, organized symposia, and edited publications from the US and the UK to the Arab world and Japan, with the common theme of reframing narratives, expanding perspectives and elevating underrepresented voices. Her work explores relationships between individual expression, critical thought, and public imagination. A former Visiting Scholar at UC Berkeley’s Arts Research Center, her writing has appeared in Bidoun, The New Inquiry and the Journal of Visual Culture.
Jason Grunebaum (Jury Chair) is a writer and translator of Manzoor Ahtesham and Uday Prakash, among other Hindi writers. He is the recipient of an NEA Translation Fellowship, a PEN/Heim Translation Grant, and the Global Humanities Initiative Translation Award. His work has been shortlisted for the DSC Prize for South Asian Literature and longlisted for the National Translation award. Originally from Buffalo, New York, he is an instructional professor at the University of Chicago, where he teaches both Hindi and literary translation.
Srinath Perur translates from Kannada to English and writes on topics such as science, travel, and books. He is the author of If It’s Monday It Must Be Madurai, a book about traveling with groups. He is also a translator of two works of fiction by Vivek Shanbhag (Ghachar Ghochar and Sakina’s Kiss)and the memoirs of Girish Karnad (This Life At Play). Srinath spends his time between Bangalore and Dharamshala.
Daisy Rockwell is an artist and a translator of Hindi and Urdu literature living in New England. She was the winner of the 2022 International Booker Prize, with author Geetanjali Shree, for her 2021 translation of the Hindi novel Tomb of Sand.
Pia Sawhney is Cofounder and Partner Emeritus at Armory Square Ventures and retired from the firm in February 2025. In that role, she counseled the ASV team and portfolio companies on developing new businesses. In her previous career as a journalist, prior to her tenure in venture capital, Pia's films and media projects were featured and/or published in the New York Times, Variety, the Washington Post and The Huffington Post, and distributed to university libraries nationwide. Her films received grants from the New York State Council on the Arts and other entities; and awards, such as the Amnesty International DOEN Award for Human Rights. They also screened at film festivals at home and abroad. Prior to that, Pia was an investment banker and biologist.
Arunava Sinha has translated Bengali fiction, non-fiction, and poetry into English. Over 70 of his translations have been published to date. He teaches creative writing at Ashoka University in India.
Padma Viswanathan is a fiction writer working in English and a translator from Portuguese. She is also an NEA grant recipient and in the past was shortlisted for the Scotiabank Giller Prize and the Oxford-Weidenfeld Translation Prize, and a finalist for the PEN Center USA Fiction Prize.
Frequently Asked Questions
Who can apply?
Any translator of literature written by a South Asian author in a language other than English. Translators of any nationality and located anywhere in the world are eligible.
Are previously published translations eligible?
Yes, this year books previously translated are the ones eligible. We are looking for work that was translated and published into English at least once anywhere in the world, after the year 1930.
What works are eligible?
Our hope is to identify previously translated literature that may have been overlooked in the past, and bring fresh life to them with new translations. The Prize will consider any unpublished book-length retranslation of narrative prose, fiction or nonfiction, including story collections, written in a South Asian language (India, Pakistan, Bangladesh, Nepal, Sri Lanka, Bhutan, Maldives, or part of the diaspora), by an author living or dead. Applicants are invited to make a case for projects that do not fall within these rubrics.
Are Retranslations eligible?
Retranslations are the focus of this year’s prize.
And Novellas? Novellas are eligible provided they are a minimum of 30,000 words.
What genres are eligible?
Narrative prose: fiction or nonfiction.
Are poetry and drama eligible?
No.
What is the prize?
The award recipient’s book will be published by Open Letter Books in fall 2027.
Can a single translator submit multiple applications?
Yes, each translator may submit a maximum of three separate applications.
Will the winner be paid?
The winning translator will be paid as part of their book contract with Open Letter Books.
Why do I have to submit a letter concerning English-language rights?
A letter from the copyright holder affirming that the English-language rights are available is essential to ensure that the translation can be published.
Are cotranslations eligible?
Cotranslations are eligible up to a maximum of two cotranslators.
When will the shortlist and winner be announced?
The shortlist and winner will be announced in early 2026.
What are the judging criteria?
Quality of the translation
Significance and artistic merits of the original work
Relative degree of underrepresentation of the original language
Meets the legal and publication standards of the Prize and its partners
Who are the judges?
The judges are persons chosen because of their expertise and knowledge of translation, publishing and/or South Asian languages and literature. Collectively, the judges comprise the ASV Prize Jury.
Are the decisions of the Jury final?
Yes. Once the jury reviews, convenes and votes on an author’s work and its translation, that decision is final, subject to the ratification of the sponsor of the ASV Prize, which retains ultimate executive authority to instruct the jury to reconvene and reconsider its decision if a work or its translation is determined to depart from the legal standards of the Prize or its partners or is otherwise determined to be unable to survive the editorial and publication process.
I’m not sure whether my project qualifies. What should I do?
Submit your application materials before the deadline, and email shreyas@armorysv.com with specific questions.
Are “bridge languages” acceptable?
No, the project must be translated directly from the source language into English. For example, a novel translated from Odia into English is eligible. A novel originally written in Odia, translated into Bangla, and then translated from Bangla into English is not eligible.
Are projects currently under book contract eligible?
Projects that are currently under book contract anywhere are not eligible.
What if my project is accepted for publication elsewhere after I submit my application?
Please let us know immediately if your project has been accepted for publication elsewhere. Books that are under contract elsewhere are ineligible for consideration for the Prize.
Will I receive feedback on my application?
Due to the volume of entries, unfortunately we are unable to provide feedback on any application.