Drahomán Prize 2026: EUR 3,000 award for translators from Ukrainian into world languages, nominations until 4 December

The Ukrainian Institute, PEN Ukraine, and the Ukrainian Book Institute have announced the call for nominations for the 2026 Drahomán Prize. Established in 2020, this award recognizes translators who render Ukrainian literature into world languages, bringing Ukrainian culture and public thought to international readers.

The prize laureate receives a financial award of EUR 3,000, along with a custom statuette and promotional support. Nominations for the 2026 edition are open from 12 October until 4 December 2026.

Prize scope and benefits

The Drahomán Prize honors outstanding translation craftsmanship and sustained contributions to the international promotion of Ukrainian literature. The chosen laureate receives a cash award of EUR 3,000, which includes applicable taxes. If the prize is awarded to a tandem of translators who collaborated on a single volume, the financial reward is divided equally between them.

Beyond the monetary prize, the winner receives a statuette created by Ukrainian artist Anna Zvyagintseva. The founding bodies also facilitate further professional exposure by offering access to translator residencies, as well as participation in foreign book fairs and cultural festivals.

Eligible candidates and nominating bodies

Translators do not submit self-nominations for this prize. Nominations must be submitted on their behalf by foreign academic or cultural institutions, diplomatic missions, publishing companies, creative unions, or members of the Drahomán Prize Chapter.

Eligible nominees must have at least one translated and published fiction or non-fiction book from the Ukrainian language in their portfolio. Tandems of translators are permitted if they worked jointly on a single translation. Translators who have previously won the Drahomán Prize cannot be nominated again.

Work requirements and selection procedure

Nominated publications must be issued by a foreign publisher within the last two years, covering the 2025-2026 period. Eligible genres include prose, poetry, drama, and non-fiction categories such as essays, reportage, interviews, biographies, and memoirs. The nominated work must not contradict the founding institutions’ values, and anthologies featuring disparate translations by multiple translators are excluded.

Submissions are evaluated by a nine-member Chapter composed of writers, translators, scholars, and cultural leaders. A long list is published by 10 December, followed by a short list of three finalists by 15 March, who are subsequently invited to an award ceremony in Kyiv in April. The Chapter may also grant a non-monetary Special Commendation to one translator from the long list.

Application process

A full nomination package requires an electronic application form, alongside digital and physical copies of the book in both the original Ukrainian and the translated language. Digital files are submitted via email, while hard copies must be delivered to the PEN Ukraine office in Kyiv.

Practical tip. Coordinate with your foreign publisher or a relevant academic institution well before the December deadline so they can formally sponsor your nomination. Because physical copies of both language editions must reach Kyiv alongside the digital submission, post the books early to account for potential international delivery delays.

Applications are submitted on the donor’s page: pen.org.ua.