Congratulations to Mark Baczoni, whose translation of János Székely’s Temptation (NYRB Classics) from the Hungarian won the American Association of Teachers of Slavic and Eastern European Languages’ 2022 award for Best Literary/Scholarly Translation into English. The award citation reads:
Mark Baczoni has given English-language readers a great gift in translating János Székely’s rollicking lost classic Temptation (Kísértés) into English for 21st century readers. Baczoni has produced a marvelously readable rendering of of Székely’s sparkling, sardonic prose; in his hands the narrative races along, offering us a delightfully exhilarating reading experience. Throughout the novel’s nearly 700 pages, Baczoni ably switches from drama to comedy and back, via poems, songs, and a great deal of lively dialogue, all interspersed with social and political commentary: a most enjoyable and rewarding read, and an admirable feat of translation.
Read more about the 2022 AATSEEL Book Prizes here.