September 4th
CHRISTINA E. KRAMER AND RAWLEY GRAU FROM USA - WINNERS OF THE INTERNATIONAL "DRAGI" AWARD FOR THE TRANSLATION OF ACO ŠOPOV'S POETRY INTO ENGLISH
–
TWELVE TRANSLATED WORKS IN THE SECOND ROUND
FOR THE "DRAGI" AWARD 2025
The winners of the 2025 international "Dragi" award for the most significant translation of a literary work by a Macedonian author are Christina E. Kramer andRawley Grau for the translation of "The Long Coming of the Fire” by Aco Šopov, from Macedonian to English.
The translation of a representative selection of Aco Šopov’s poetryДолго доаѓање на огнот), was published in 2023 by the American publishing house "Deep Vellum” on the occasion of the centenary of the author's birth, and represents a cultural and literary event of the highest order in the affirmation of Macedonian literature beyond its national borders. With this translation, the work of one of the greatest Macedonian poets finally received an equal place in the Anglophone world, where it had been almost unknown until now.
Grau and Kramer have created a translation that merges poetic inspiration with philological precision in a remarkable way. Critics highlight their mastery in conveying the full range of Šopov’s poetic expressions – from the cosmic visions of the soul to intimate eroticism, from the documentary sharpness in the observation of nature to the warmth of paternal care.
The translation has experienced an impressive reception, public presentations in Paris (UNESCO, INALCO), in Macedonia (Struga Poetry Evenings), in Tokyo, Toronto and other centers, as well as numerous reviews and criticisms in the USA, Canada and Europe, and was selected as one of the “Favorite Books in Translation for 2023” by EuropeNow. Beyond the realm of literature, the translation inspired contemporary musical compositions by Canadian composer Michael Spirov, which represents a rare and significant form of cultural reception.
That is why the translation by Grau and Kramer is a worthy winner of the international DRAGI award for the most significant translation of a book by a Macedonian author into a foreign language. The awarding of the international "Dragi" award will take place for the first time in Ohrid, on September 11 at 11:30 a.m. at the UKIM Congress Center, as part of the XII. Macedonian-North American Conference on Macedonian Studies.
Christina E. Kramer is a Professor of Linguistics and Slavic Studies at the University of Toronto, Canada, and an External Fellow of the Macedonian Academy of Sciences and Arts since 2009. For more than three decades, the Macedonian language has been the focus of her closest academic interests.
Kramer is also intensely dedicated to literary translation. She has translated works by Goce Smilevski, Petar Andonovski, Lidija Dimkovska, and Luan Starova from Macedonian. Her translation of the novel The Summer Without You” (Лето во кое те нема) by Petar Andonovski was awarded the UK Pen Translates Award, and the translations by Lidija Dimkovska and Goce Smilevski were also shortlisted for significant awards. She expressed particular joy at receiving the “Dragi” award.
Rawley Grau is originally from Baltimore, USA, but has lived in Ljubljana, Slovenia since the early 2000s. He is known as a translator from Slovenian to English. In 2021, he received the Lavrin Diploma for Achievement in Translation from the Society of Slovenian Literary Translators. In 2023, he worked on translations from Macedonian for the first time, together with Christina E. Kramer.
The international award "Dragi" for the most significant translation from Macedonian into a foreign language takes into account various parameters when a particular translation appears in another cultural environment. First of all - the level of the translation, but also the topicality, reviews, influence, stimulating interest in the author, recognition, increasing intercultural dialogue, etc. With this award, for the third year in a row, a serious incentive is given to all literary translators from the Macedonian language to approach the translation of Macedonian literature with great care and to more often decide to have the works of our authors included in the offer of publishing houses from Europe and the world.
The second round for the award for the best translation into the Macedonian language "Dragi" has also been selected
In addition, the jury committee for the "Dragi" award has decided, through a secret ballot, to enter the second round of selection, 12 translated works with editions published by 7 publishing houses, translated by 12 translators and from 7 different languages. The works that will enter the second round (arranged in alphabetical order, according to the first letter of the translators' names):
- Gjoko Zdraveski for the translation from Serbian of “Death and the Dervish” („Дервишот и смртта“) by Meša Selimović, published by "Antolog" 2025;
- Ermis Lafazanovski for the translation from Romanian of “The summer my mother had green eyes” ( „Летото во кое мама имаше зелени очи“) by Tatiana Țîbuleac, published by “Tri”,2024;
- Irena Jurčeva the translation from English of “The Black Cat” (,Црниот мачор - раскази за мистеријата") by Edgar Allan Poe, published by “Tri”,2024;
- Jasminka Markovska for the translation from Norwegian of “ Morning and night” ( „Утро и вечер“ ) by Jon Fosse, published by Artkonekt2024;
- Kalina Maleska for the translation from English of “Free: Coming of Age at the End of History” („Слобода: созревање на крајот на историјата“) by Lea Ypi, published by “Ili-Ili”,2024;
- Katerina Sotirova for the translation from Italian of “Amphorae” („Амфора“) by Luigi Pirandello, published by “Ili-Ili”,2024;
- Lidija Tanuševska or the translation from Polish of “The Empusium” („Емпусион“) by Olga Tokarczuk, published by "Antolog"2025;
- Ljubica Arsovska or the translation from English of “ The Genius and the Goddess” ( „Генијот и божицата“) by Aldous Huxley, published by Artkonekt2025;
- Milan Damjanovski for the translation from English of “Ten stories” („Десет раскази“) by O. Henry, published by “Svetla komora”,2024;
- Nikola Kuzmanovski for the translation from English of the “The Shadow over Innsmouth and Other Stories of Horror” („Сенката над инсмот и други грозотии“) by H. P. Lovecraft, published by “Poligramaton”2024;
- Svetlana Kočovska - Stevovikj for the translation from Ancient Greek of “Ephesian Tale” („Приказна од Ефес: Антија и Хаброком“) by Xenophon, pubvlished by “Ili-Ili”,2025;
- Filip Dimevski for the translation from Polish of “Masquerade” („Маскарада“) by Witold Gombrowicz, published by Begemot.2024;
This year's edition of the "Dragi" award was realized by the publishing house "Antolog" with the support of the Ministry of Culture and in cooperation with the Faculty of Philology "Blaže Koneski" - Skopje. The award consists of a plaque, “Dragi” statuette and a monetary award consisting of 40.000 denars.
Initially, 35 prose works by 33 translators, published by 18 publishing houses or individuals, for translations made from 17 different languages were nominated for this years’ “Dragi” award. From this year, a priority literary category was introduced for the first time, which will change every year.. For 2025 it is prose (fiction) and includes works such as novels, short story collections, essays, diaries, etc.
The annual award for best literary translation in Мacedonian - Dragi was announced in 2022 with the first honorary recognition awarded to Dragi Mihajlovski (1951-2022), a Мacedonian writer, translator, essayist and professor. Besides his prose work, Mihajlovski has left a meaningful and eternal footstep in Macedonian culture with the translation of Shakespeare, Milton, Shelley, Blake, Eliot. and others. He has published several studies and essays about the theory of translation and his opinions about literary translation have also inspired students at the Faculty of Philology "Blaže Koneski" in Skopje, where he was a professor.
Follow us on:
Facebook Награда ДРАГИ
Instagram nagradadragi
