Application Process

The Gutekunst Prize of the Friends of Goethe New York is open to college students and to all translators under the age of 35 who, at the time the prize is awarded, have not yet published, nor are under contract for, a book-length translation. Applications will be accepted only from permanent residents of the United States. Team translations will not be accepted.

Each applicant is required to translate an excerpt of nine pages, available on request from the Goethe-Institut New York. To receive the text and the application form, please send an email starting on January 3 to: gutekunst@goethe.de

Note: the application period for the 2023 Gutekunst Prize is closed.

Translations will be submitted to a jury consisting of three experts in German literature and translation.

The winner of the Gutekunst Prize of the Friends of Goethe New York may be invited to an award ceremony to take place at the Goethe-Institut New York in early summer, pending updated safety regulations from the CDC and local health authorities. Should a live ceremony not be possible, the event will take place online. The $2,500 prize will be awarded at this time, and the winner will have the opportunity to present his or her translation.

The jury’s statement, the name of the winner, and the text of the winning translation will be published on the website of the Goethe-Institut New York and, following agreement with the German publisher of the work, may be used as a sample translation in negotiations with US publishers.

For further information, please write to: gutekunst@goethe.de

Please note: Applicants must be under the age of 35 on the date of the jury’s decision, May 1, 2023. By submitting work for the Gutekunst Prize of the Friends of Goethe New York, the applicant acknowledges the right of the Goethe-Institut and New Books in German to use the accepted work in its publications, on its website, and for educational and promotional purposes related to the Prize.