Fabjan Hafner Award

The Fabjan Hafner Prize annually honors outstanding literary translation achievements between German and Slovenian, thereby promoting cultural exchange in the Alpine-Adriatic region. In cooperation with the Goethe-Institut Ljubljana, the Literary Colloquium Berlin, and other renowned institutions, the state of Carinthia has been awarding fiction, humanistic, and essayistic translations since 2017. As a tribute to the distinguished translator and literary scholar Fabjan Hafner, the award includes a main prize of €5,000, accompanied by a scholarship for a one-month research residency at the Literary Colloquium Berlin. Additionally, a recognition prize of €2,500 is granted, funded by the Austrian Cultural Forum Ljubljana. The award alternates annually between translations from German into Slovenian and those from Slovenian into German, thus equally supporting both language directions.

Only literary professionals are eligible for nomination: professional translators are appointed by independent juries, ensuring the high quality standards. Direct applications are not possible, underscoring the exclusivity of the award. With the aim of enhancing the significance of literary translation, the program provides urgently needed recognition and supports the laureates in their further artistic careers. The award is granted annually without an application deadline, and the selection process guarantees an objective decision by a German-speaking and a Slovenian-speaking expert panel.