The Else Otten Übersetzerpreis 2008 is awarded to translator Waltraud Hüsmert for her German translation of ‘The sorrow of Belgium' by Hugo Claus. The prize involves 5.200 euro and is awarded bi-annually by the Flemish Literature Fund and the Foundation for the Production and Translation of Dutch Literature (NLPVF) to the best translation into German of a Dutch-language literary title.
Waltraud Hüsmert has been translating Dutch-language novels and poetry for almost twenty years. She boasts an impressive list of translations: from Hugo Claus to Hella Haasse, Willem Frederik Hermans, Thomas Rosenboom, Maarten 't Hart, Tessa de Loo, Willem Elsschot, Erwin Mortier, and many others. A complete list of her translations can be found in our translation database.
Hüsmert's work previously won the European Poetry Prize 2001 (together with Hugo Claus and co-translator Maria Csollány), the Cultural Prize of the Flemish Community 2001 and the Martinus Nijhoff Award 2004.
The first Else Otten Übersetzerpreis was awarded in 2000 by the NLPVF and the Literarisches Colloquium Berlin. It is financed by the NLPVF and the FLF.
Else Otten (1873-1931), whom the award is named after, was one of the most active translators of Dutch-language literature into German of the previous century. She has translated ‘Majesteit' by Louis Couperus (Majestät, 1895) as well as works by Frederik van Eeden, Justus van Maurik and Herman Heijermans.
