Len Rix
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Len Rix is a
Zimbabwe file:Zimbabwe, relief map.jpg, upright=1.22, Zimbabwe, relief map Zimbabwe, officially the Republic of Zimbabwe, is a landlocked country in Southeast Africa, between the Zambezi and Limpopo Rivers, bordered by South Africa to the south, Bots ...
-born translator of Hungarian literature into English, noted for his translations of
Antal Szerb Antal Szerb (1 May 1901, Budapest – 27 January 1945, Balf, Hungary, Balf) was a noted Hungary, Hungarian scholar and writer. He is generally considered to be one of the most important Hungarian writers of the 20th century. Life and career Sz ...
's '' Journey by Moonlight'' and ''
The Pendragon Legend ''The Pendragon Legend'' (Hungarian: A Pendragon-legenda) is a 1934 novel by the Hungarian writer Antal Szerb. The book is a philosophical thriller/comedy/murder-mystery/ghost story set first in London and then in Wales. A mystical element is di ...
'' and of
Magda Szabó Magda Szabó (5 October 1917 – 19 November 2007) was a Hungarians, Hungarian novelist. Doctor of philology, she also wrote dramas, essays, studies, memoirs, poetry and children's literature. She was a founding member of the , an online dig ...
's '' The Door'' and ''Katalin Street''.


Early life and education

Len Rix was born in
Zimbabwe file:Zimbabwe, relief map.jpg, upright=1.22, Zimbabwe, relief map Zimbabwe, officially the Republic of Zimbabwe, is a landlocked country in Southeast Africa, between the Zambezi and Limpopo Rivers, bordered by South Africa to the south, Bots ...
in 1942, where he studied English, French and Latin at the (then)
University College of Rhodesia and Nyasaland The University of Zimbabwe (UZ) is a public university in Harare, Zimbabwe. It was opened in 1952 as the University College of Federation of Rhodesia and Nyasaland, Rhodesia and Nyasaland, and was initially affiliated with the University of Lon ...
. In 1963 he won a
Commonwealth Scholarship The Commonwealth Scholarship and Fellowship Plan (CSFP) is an international programme under which Commonwealth governments offer scholarships and fellowships to citizens of other Commonwealth countries. History The plan was originally proposed ...
to
King's College, Cambridge King's College, formally The King's College of Our Lady and Saint Nicholas in Cambridge, is a List of colleges of the University of Cambridge, constituent college of the University of Cambridge. The college lies beside the River Cam and faces ...
, where he read English. He worked as a lecturer at the
University of Rhodesia The University of Zimbabwe (UZ) is a public university in Harare, Zimbabwe. It was opened in 1952 as the University College of Rhodesia and Nyasaland, and was initially affiliated with the University of London. It was later renamed the Univers ...
/Zimbabwe and subsequently as a teacher of English at
Manchester Grammar School The Manchester Grammar School (MGS) is a highly Selective school, selective Private_schools_in_the_United_Kingdom, private day school for boys aged 7-18 in Manchester, England, which was founded in 1515 by Hugh Oldham (then Bishop of Exeter). ...
(where he was also Head of Careers), before retiring in 2005 to live in
Cambridge Cambridge ( ) is a List of cities in the United Kingdom, city and non-metropolitan district in the county of Cambridgeshire, England. It is the county town of Cambridgeshire and is located on the River Cam, north of London. As of the 2021 Unit ...
. Rix learned Hungarian on his own, using textbooks, audio recordings and literature.


Translations

Len Rix's first published translation from Hungarian was of Tamás Kabdebó's ''Minden idők'' (''A Time for Everything'') (Cardinal Press, 1995), but he is best known for his renderings of
Antal Szerb Antal Szerb (1 May 1901, Budapest – 27 January 1945, Balf, Hungary, Balf) was a noted Hungary, Hungarian scholar and writer. He is generally considered to be one of the most important Hungarian writers of the 20th century. Life and career Sz ...
, especially '' Journey by Moonlight'' (''Utas és holdvilág'', 1937), and of
Magda Szabó Magda Szabó (5 October 1917 – 19 November 2007) was a Hungarians, Hungarian novelist. Doctor of philology, she also wrote dramas, essays, studies, memoirs, poetry and children's literature. She was a founding member of the , an online dig ...
's '' The Door'' (''Az ajtó'', 1987) and ''Katalin Street'' (''Katalin utca'', 1969).


Awards and honors

*2006
Independent Foreign Fiction Prize The ''Independent'' Foreign Fiction Prize (1990–2015) was a British literary award. It was inaugurated by British newspaper ''The Independent'' to honour contemporary fiction in translation in the United Kingdom. The award was first launched i ...
(short-listed) for the translation of
Magda Szabó Magda Szabó (5 October 1917 – 19 November 2007) was a Hungarians, Hungarian novelist. Doctor of philology, she also wrote dramas, essays, studies, memoirs, poetry and children's literature. She was a founding member of the , an online dig ...
's '' The Door'' *2006
Oxford-Weidenfeld Translation Prize The Oxford-Weidenfeld Translation Prize is an annual literary prize for any book-length translation into English from any other living European language. The first prize was awarded in 1999. The prize is funded by and named in honour of Lord Wei ...
winner, for the translation of
Magda Szabó Magda Szabó (5 October 1917 – 19 November 2007) was a Hungarians, Hungarian novelist. Doctor of philology, she also wrote dramas, essays, studies, memoirs, poetry and children's literature. She was a founding member of the , an online dig ...
's '' The Door'' *2015
New York Times Book Review ''The New York Times Book Review'' (''NYTBR'') is a weekly paper-magazine supplement to the Sunday edition of ''The New York Times'' in which current non-fiction and fiction books are reviewed. It is one of the most influential and widely rea ...
10 Best Books of 2015, for
Magda Szabó Magda Szabó (5 October 1917 – 19 November 2007) was a Hungarians, Hungarian novelist. Doctor of philology, she also wrote dramas, essays, studies, memoirs, poetry and children's literature. She was a founding member of the , an online dig ...
's '' The Door'' *2018
PEN Translation Prize The PEN Translation Prize (formerly known as the PEN/Book-of-the-Month Club Translation Prize through 2008) is an annual award given by PEN America (formerly PEN American Center) to outstanding translations into the English language. It has been pr ...
, winner, for the translation of ''Katalin Street'' by
Magda Szabó Magda Szabó (5 October 1917 – 19 November 2007) was a Hungarians, Hungarian novelist. Doctor of philology, she also wrote dramas, essays, studies, memoirs, poetry and children's literature. She was a founding member of the , an online dig ...
*2019
Warwick Prize for Women in Translation The Warwick Prize for Women in Translation is an annual award for work by a female author translated into English and published by a UK-based or Irish publisher during the previous calendar year. The prize was established in 2017 "to address the g ...
(short-listed) for the translation of
Magda Szabó Magda Szabó (5 October 1917 – 19 November 2007) was a Hungarians, Hungarian novelist. Doctor of philology, she also wrote dramas, essays, studies, memoirs, poetry and children's literature. She was a founding member of the , an online dig ...
's ''Katalin Street'' *2020 Hyman Wingate Prize for Writing about Jewry, long-listed for
Magda Szabó Magda Szabó (5 October 1917 – 19 November 2007) was a Hungarians, Hungarian novelist. Doctor of philology, she also wrote dramas, essays, studies, memoirs, poetry and children's literature. She was a founding member of the , an online dig ...
's ''Katalin Street'' * 2020
Warwick Prize for Women in Translation The Warwick Prize for Women in Translation is an annual award for work by a female author translated into English and published by a UK-based or Irish publisher during the previous calendar year. The prize was established in 2017 "to address the g ...
(short-listed) for the translation of
Magda Szabó Magda Szabó (5 October 1917 – 19 November 2007) was a Hungarians, Hungarian novelist. Doctor of philology, she also wrote dramas, essays, studies, memoirs, poetry and children's literature. She was a founding member of the , an online dig ...
's ''
Abigail Abigail () was an Israelite woman in the Hebrew Bible married to Nabal; she married the future King David after Nabal's death (1 Samuel ). Abigail was David's third wife, after Ahinoam and Saul's daughter, Michal, whom Saul later married to ...
'' * 2021 Hungarian Gold Cross of Merit (''Magyar Köztársasági Arany Érdemkereszt - Polgári'') for his work in translating Hungarian literary classics into the English language


Bibliography


Literary works translated from Hungarian

* ''A Time for Everything'' (''Minden idők''), by Tamás Kabdebó), Cardinal Press, 1995 * '' Journey by Moonlight'' (''Utas és holdvilág''), by
Antal Szerb Antal Szerb (1 May 1901, Budapest – 27 January 1945, Balf, Hungary, Balf) was a noted Hungary, Hungarian scholar and writer. He is generally considered to be one of the most important Hungarian writers of the 20th century. Life and career Sz ...
),
Pushkin Press Pushkin Press is a British-based publishing house dedicated to publishing novels, essays, memoirs and children's books. The London-based company was founded in 1997 and is notable for publishing authors such as Stefan Zweig, Marcel Aymé, Antal ...
, 2001 * '' The Door'' (''Az ajtó''), by
Magda Szabó Magda Szabó (5 October 1917 – 19 November 2007) was a Hungarians, Hungarian novelist. Doctor of philology, she also wrote dramas, essays, studies, memoirs, poetry and children's literature. She was a founding member of the , an online dig ...
),
Harvill Secker Harvill Secker is a British publishing company formed in 2005 from the merger of Secker & Warburg and the Harvill Press. History Secker & Warburg Secker & Warburg was formed in 1935 from a takeover of Martin Secker, which was in receivership, ...
, 2005 * ''
The Pendragon Legend ''The Pendragon Legend'' (Hungarian: A Pendragon-legenda) is a 1934 novel by the Hungarian writer Antal Szerb. The book is a philosophical thriller/comedy/murder-mystery/ghost story set first in London and then in Wales. A mystical element is di ...
'' (''A Pendragon legenda''), by
Antal Szerb Antal Szerb (1 May 1901, Budapest – 27 January 1945, Balf, Hungary, Balf) was a noted Hungary, Hungarian scholar and writer. He is generally considered to be one of the most important Hungarian writers of the 20th century. Life and career Sz ...
),
Pushkin Press Pushkin Press is a British-based publishing house dedicated to publishing novels, essays, memoirs and children's books. The London-based company was founded in 1997 and is notable for publishing authors such as Stefan Zweig, Marcel Aymé, Antal ...
, 2006 * '' Oliver VII'' (''VII. Olivér''), by
Antal Szerb Antal Szerb (1 May 1901, Budapest – 27 January 1945, Balf, Hungary, Balf) was a noted Hungary, Hungarian scholar and writer. He is generally considered to be one of the most important Hungarian writers of the 20th century. Life and career Sz ...
,
Pushkin Press Pushkin Press is a British-based publishing house dedicated to publishing novels, essays, memoirs and children's books. The London-based company was founded in 1997 and is notable for publishing authors such as Stefan Zweig, Marcel Aymé, Antal ...
, 2007 * ''The Queen's Necklace'' (''A királynő nyaklánca''), by
Antal Szerb Antal Szerb (1 May 1901, Budapest – 27 January 1945, Balf, Hungary, Balf) was a noted Hungary, Hungarian scholar and writer. He is generally considered to be one of the most important Hungarian writers of the 20th century. Life and career Sz ...
),
Pushkin Press Pushkin Press is a British-based publishing house dedicated to publishing novels, essays, memoirs and children's books. The London-based company was founded in 1997 and is notable for publishing authors such as Stefan Zweig, Marcel Aymé, Antal ...
, 2009 * ''Love in a Bottle'' (''Szerelem a palackban''), by
Antal Szerb Antal Szerb (1 May 1901, Budapest – 27 January 1945, Balf, Hungary, Balf) was a noted Hungary, Hungarian scholar and writer. He is generally considered to be one of the most important Hungarian writers of the 20th century. Life and career Sz ...
,
Pushkin Press Pushkin Press is a British-based publishing house dedicated to publishing novels, essays, memoirs and children's books. The London-based company was founded in 1997 and is notable for publishing authors such as Stefan Zweig, Marcel Aymé, Antal ...
, 2010 * ''The Third Tower'' (''A harmadik torony''), by
Antal Szerb Antal Szerb (1 May 1901, Budapest – 27 January 1945, Balf, Hungary, Balf) was a noted Hungary, Hungarian scholar and writer. He is generally considered to be one of the most important Hungarian writers of the 20th century. Life and career Sz ...
,
Pushkin Press Pushkin Press is a British-based publishing house dedicated to publishing novels, essays, memoirs and children's books. The London-based company was founded in 1997 and is notable for publishing authors such as Stefan Zweig, Marcel Aymé, Antal ...
, 2014 * ''A Martian's Guide to Budapest (Budapesti kalauz marslakók számára''), by
Antal Szerb Antal Szerb (1 May 1901, Budapest – 27 January 1945, Balf, Hungary, Balf) was a noted Hungary, Hungarian scholar and writer. He is generally considered to be one of the most important Hungarian writers of the 20th century. Life and career Sz ...
, Magvető, 2015 * ''Katalin Street (Katalin utca''), by
Magda Szabó Magda Szabó (5 October 1917 – 19 November 2007) was a Hungarians, Hungarian novelist. Doctor of philology, she also wrote dramas, essays, studies, memoirs, poetry and children's literature. She was a founding member of the , an online dig ...
,
NYRB Classics New York Review Books (NYRB) is the publishing division of ''The New York Review of Books''. Its imprints are New York Review Books Classics, New York Review Books Collections, The New York Review Children's Collection, New York Review Comics, ...
, 2017 * ''Abigail (Abigél''), by
Magda Szabó Magda Szabó (5 October 1917 – 19 November 2007) was a Hungarians, Hungarian novelist. Doctor of philology, she also wrote dramas, essays, studies, memoirs, poetry and children's literature. She was a founding member of the , an online dig ...
,
NYRB Classics New York Review Books (NYRB) is the publishing division of ''The New York Review of Books''. Its imprints are New York Review Books Classics, New York Review Books Collections, The New York Review Children's Collection, New York Review Comics, ...
, 2020 * ''The Enchanted Night, Transylvanian and other Tales'', by Miklós Bánffy,
Pushkin Press Pushkin Press is a British-based publishing house dedicated to publishing novels, essays, memoirs and children's books. The London-based company was founded in 1997 and is notable for publishing authors such as Stefan Zweig, Marcel Aymé, Antal ...
, 2020 * ''The Fawn'', by
Magda Szabó Magda Szabó (5 October 1917 – 19 November 2007) was a Hungarians, Hungarian novelist. Doctor of philology, she also wrote dramas, essays, studies, memoirs, poetry and children's literature. She was a founding member of the , an online dig ...
,
MacLehose Press Quercus is a formerly independent publishing house, based in London, that was acquired by Hodder & Stoughton in 2014. It was founded in 2004 by Mark Smith and Wayne Davies. Quercus is known for its lists in crime (publishing such authors as El ...
, 2023


Other translations

* ''In the Footsteps of the Gods'' (from the early journalism of Sándor Márai),''The Hungarian Quarterly'' No. 185, Spring 2007


Other publications

* "Shakespeare's Meaning in 'The Merchant of Venice'", University of Rhodesia 'Studies in Literature' Series, No 7, 1974 * "Charles Mungoshi's 'The Coming of the Dry Season'", ''Mambo Review of Contemporary African Literature'', November 1974 * "Some Recent Criticism of Doris Lessing", ''Zambezia'', Vol. 4, No. 2, 1977 * ''The Selected Works of Arthur Shearly Cripps'', Mambo Press, 1976 (co-editor, responsible for Introduction and Bibliography) * ''Rhodesian Literature in English: A Bibliography'' (with Pichanik et al.), Mambo Press, 1977 * "The Subtle Art of Antal Szerb", ''The Hungarian Quarterly'', No. 186, Summer 2007 * "Magda Szabó: Acclaimed author of 'The Door'" (obituary), ''The Independent'', November 2007 * "In Praise of Translation", ''The Hungarian Quarterly'', No. 193, Spring 2009


Poetry

* Anthologised in ''Rhodesian Poetry'' Nos 11 (1972-3), 12 (1975) and 13 (1976-7) * Anthologised in ''25 Years of South African Poetry'', New Coin, Grahamstown, 1980 * Individual poems in ''Two Tone'' (Rhodesia), ''New Coin'' (South Africa), ''Staple'', ''Iota'',''The Interpreter's House'' (UK), and ''The New Hungarian Quarterly'' (Hungary)


Film

* '' The Door'' (2005), translation used for English version of 2012 film '' The Door'' by István Szabó, starring
Helen Mirren Dame Helen Mirren (; born Ilyena Lydia Vasilievna Mironov; 26 July 1945) is an English actor. With a career spanning over six decades of Helen Mirren on screen and stage, screen and stage, List of awards and nominations received by Helen Mirre ...
* ''
Evolution Evolution is the change in the heritable Phenotypic trait, characteristics of biological populations over successive generations. It occurs when evolutionary processes such as natural selection and genetic drift act on genetic variation, re ...
'' (2021), English language translation of script by
Kata Wéber Kata Wéber is a Hungarian screenwriter, playwright and former actress who often works with her husband, director Kornél Mundruczó. Wéber wrote '' White God'' (2014), ''Jupiter's Moon'' (2017) and '' Pieces of a Woman'' (2020). Career Kata Wà ...
and
Kornél Mundruczó Kornél Mundruczó (; born 3 April 1975) is a Hungarian film and theatre director. His 2014 film '' White God'' won the Prize at the 2014 Cannes Film Festival. While '' Tender Son: The Frankenstein Project'' (2010) and '' Jupiter's Moon'' (2 ...


References


External links


''Guardian'' review of ''Journey By Moonlight''
* in ''Hungarian Quarterly'' (2005)
Interview with Hungarian Literature Online''The Independent'' review of ''The Pendragon Legend''''The Telegraph'' review of ''Katalin Street''''The Spectator'' review of ''Abigail''''Times Literary Supplement'' review of ''Katalin Street'' and ''Abigail''''Times Literary Supplement'' review of ''The Fawn''
{{DEFAULTSORT:Rix, Len Hungarian–English translators Living people Alumni of University of London Worldwide Alumni of the University of London University of Zimbabwe alumni Academic staff of the University of Zimbabwe 1942 births White Rhodesian people Alumni of King's College, Cambridge Teachers at Manchester Grammar School