Malaysian author clinches first place at the PEN Presents x International Booker Prize for an English translation of 'The Last Days of Jesselton'
In a groundbreaking achievement for Malaysian literature, author and translator Pauline Fan has been named one of six winners of the inaugural PEN Presents x International Booker Prize programme. The award, jointly launched by English PEN and the Booker Prize Foundation in 2024, aims to support translators from the Global Majority and address longstanding underrepresentation in the UK publishing landscape.
Fan's winning work is a translation of The Last Days of Jesselton, originally written in Malay by Sabah-born author Ruhaini Matdarin. The novel, set during the final days of British rule in North Borneo, now Sabah, explores themes of transition, memory, and identity against the backdrop of British colonial withdrawal. This marks a significant milestone for Malaysian literature in translation, as it is the first PEN Presents-winning project to feature a work originally published in Malay.
The other five winners of the PEN Presents x International Booker Prize programme represent five languages and five regions. Anam Zafar, for a translation from Arabic of Playing with Soldiers by Tariq Asrawi (Palestine), and Mayada Ibrahim and Najlaa Eltom, for a translation from Arabic of Ireme by Stella Gaitano (Sudan), are among the recipients.
The selected works were reviewed by independent assessors and a panel of seven experts chaired by writer and professor Preti Taneja. John Bengan, for a translation from Cebuano of The Man with a Thousand Names by R. Joseph Dazo (Philippines), and Christian Jil R. Benitez, for a translation from Filipino of Time of the Eye by Alvin B. Yapan (Philippines), complete the list of winners.
Tiffany Tsao, for a translation from Indonesian of The Born Out of Wedlock Club by Grace Tioso (Indonesia), is also part of this esteemed group. The Head of Literature Programmes at English PEN, Will Forrester, stated that the six samples are "stunningly different in voice and style and theme, and stunningly alike in their brilliance."
Each winner received grants of £500 (approximately RM2,848) to produce 5,000-word samples. Fan's translation will be showcased on the English PEN website alongside the other winning samples. For those interested in learning more about Pauline Fan's achievement, the English PEN website is recommended.
The International Booker Prize is widely regarded as the most influential award for translated fiction published in the UK and Ireland. This recognition is a testament to the power of literature in bridging cultural divides and fostering understanding among diverse communities.
