Doha: The Sheikh Hamad Award for Translation and International Understanding (SHTAIU) has unveiled the languages selected for its 13th edition in 2027.
As such, SHTAIU is determined to maintain the approach it had adopted in the previous edition of announcing the languages for each new edition months before applications and nominations open, giving translators, publishers, and academic and cultural institutions ample time to prepare their submissions and fulfil the participation requirements.
The selection of languages is based on specialised field studies conducted by translation experts and researchers, the award said, noting that the process assesses the translation movement between Arabic and other international languages.
It added that the selection takes into account the volume of translation output and the extent of academic and cultural activity associated with each language, while ensuring balanced representation across different continents and geographic regions, in line with the award’s mission of building people-to-people intercultural connections. In the Single Book Category, the award selected Spanish alongside English, as they are among the world’s most widely spoken and globally influential languages.
Spanish had previously been included among the award’s selected languages in two earlier editions, amid the ongoing momentum in translation between Spanish and Arabic. The prize money for the top three places in each Single Book Category totals $200,000.
In the Achievement Category, which honors long-term, cumulative efforts in translation by individuals and institutions alike, the award selected English, Spanish, Portuguese, Uzbek, and Japanese.
Portuguese, Uzbek, and Japanese represent the less widely spoken languages selected this year, as part of the award’s policy of supporting languages with promising translation potential and encouraging knowledge exchange between them and Arabic. The Achievement Award is valued at $100,000 in each category.
As part of preparations for the new edition, SHTAIU will organize a series of outreach tours in countries where the languages selected for the 13th edition are spoken.
The tours will include visits to universities, research centres, and academic and cultural institutions specialising in Arab and Islamic studies, with the aim of meeting directly with researchers, translators, and academics, assessing the translation movement, and building academic and cultural partnerships that contribute to advancing international cooperation and achieving the award’s objectives. Nominations and applications for this edition are scheduled to open from Jan. 1 through March 31 via the award’s website. The award called on all individuals and institutions interested in translation to follow its official website and social media accounts for the latest updates and begin preparing early to participate in this edition, which is expected to draw broad and outstanding participation from countries around the globe. This would further advance the award’s mission of supporting translation activity and strengthening intercultural dialogue.
