The Children of the Ghetto, by Elias Khoury and translated by Humphrey Davies has been nominated for the 2024 Gregg Barrios Book in Translation Prize of the National Book Critics Circle. Over the past year, the NBCC board has read hundreds of books.
The National Book Critics Circle honors outstanding writing and fosters a national conversation about reading, criticism, and literature. It was founded in April 1974 at the Algonquin Hotel in New York City, with founding members John Leonard, Nona Balakian, and Ivan Sandrof intending to extend the Algonquin round table to a national conversation. Each year, the National Book Critics Circle presents awards for the finest books published in English in six categories: Fiction, Nonfiction, Biography, Autobiography, Poetry, and Criticism.
In addition, it awards two prizes voted on by membership: the John Leonard Prize for the best first book in any genre and the Gregg Barrios Book in Translation Prize, for the best book of any genre translated into English and published in the United States.
The five other finalists to the Gregg Barrios Book in Translation Prize are:
– László Krasznahorkai, translation by Ottilie Mulzes
for Herscht 07769, New Direction
– Pedro Lemebel, translation by Gwendolyn Harper
for A Last Supper of Queer ApostlesPenguin Classics
- Rodrigo Fresán, translation by Will Vanderhyden
for Melvill, Open Letter
– Judith Kiros, translation by – Kira Josefsson
for O, World Poetry
– Iman Mersal, translation by Robin Moger
for Traces of Enayat, Transit
The winner will be announced on March 20, 2025.