Revisions to Batchelder Award aim to raise recognition of book translators 

CHICAGO — The Board of Directors of the Association for Library Service to Children (ALSC), a division of the American Library Association, voted in January to revise the submission criteria for the Mildred L. Batchelder Award to add requirements regarding credit to translators. The new language approved by the Board requires that “the translator(s)’ name(s) shall appear, at minimum, on the title page along with the author(s)' name(s), and ideally the translator(s)’ name(s) shall appear on the cover along with the author(s)' name(s) as well.” 

The Batchelder Award, established in 1966, is awarded to a US publisher for a children’s book considered to be the most outstanding of those books originating in a country other than the United States and in a language other than English and subsequently translated into English for publication in the US.   

In addition to the criteria change, effective with the 2023 Batchelder Award conferral, certificates will be presented to translators of Batchelder Award and Honor Books to acknowledge their exemplary work. 

The member-driven recommendation for the criteria change was developed through consultation with publishers of translated titles, ALSC members, and others in the translation community.

“ALSC is making a vital commitment to acknowledge translators, and this decision attests to the importance of literary translations as a creative art that requires skill and a strong sensibility to language, writing, and the reading experience of children. The success of a translated title for children depends heavily on the merit of its translation,” said Lucia Gonzalez, ALSC President.  

To learn more about the Batchelder award and access past award winners, please visit the website at https://www.ala.org/alsc/awardsgrants/bookmedia/batchelder.  

ALSC, a division of the ALA, is the world’s largest organization dedicated to the support and enhancement of library service to children. With a network of more than 4,000 children’s and youth librarians, literature experts, publishers and educational faculty, ALSC is committed to creating a better future for children through libraries. To learn more about ALSC, visit ALSC’s website at www.ala.org/alsc.