The Jewish Literary Foundation has announced Peter Filkins as the recipient of the inaugural Freudenheim Translation Prize for his translation of The Book Against Death by 1981 Nobel Laureate Elias Canetti – a collection of aphorisms and commentaries that reflect on – and rage against – death and destruction. The new prize recognizes outstanding translations of books on Jewish life, culture and ideas.
Described by chair of the judges Boyd Tonkin as “an intoxicating blend of memoir, vision and philosophy”, The Book Against Death – complied over more than four decades – is “a posthumous masterwork from one of the 20th century’s most powerful literary minds”.
Peter Filkins, translator of Ingeborg Bachmann’s collected poems, Darkness Spoken, as well as three novels by H. G. Adler, The Journey, Panorama and The Wall, was announced as the winner of the £3,000 award during a prize ceremony on 12 February. The event featured readings from the shortlisted translators and a panel with Tonkin and fellow judges Hephzibah Anderson and Shoshana Boyd Gelfand on the importance of the award and translation.
The prize – run in partnership with the Times Literary Supplement (TLS) and named after the Freudenheim family – is the most ambitious award in the Jewish Literary Foundation’s 75-year history, celebrating excellence in translated fiction and non-fiction into English. Its goal is to raise the visibility of international Jewish writing and provide English-speaking audiences with access to important and frequently underrepresented texts from around the world.
As Tom and Leslie Freudenheim, sponsors of the prize said, “In this inaugural year of the Freudenheim Translation Prize – a distinction our family was proud to initiate – we are thrilled to honour our son, Adam, for his longstanding commitment to bringing outstanding foreign-language literature to an English-reading public. His work has not only expanded the reach of international writers but has also reflected an ongoing engagement with Jewish intellectual life, values that lie at the heart of this prize.”
Narrowing the winner from a shortlist of six titles, the judges were unanimous in their decision to award the prize to Filkins, stating that “Elias Canetti’s lyrical, erudite and passionate reflections on the deepest questions of life and death find their home in English thanks to Peter Filkins’s masterly translation”.
Open to translators worldwide, the shortlist ranged from novels, short stories, memoir and philosophy. Covering translations from Yiddish, Hebrew, Slovak, French and German, the chosen titles brought together literary rediscoveries and urgent contemporary voices. The Postcard, translated by Tina Kover, was highly commended by the judges, with other shortlisted titles including: How to Love Your Daughter, translated by Daniella Zamir; Sons and Daughters, translated by Rose Waldman; Living with Our Dead, translated by Lisa Appignanesi; and The Last Thing, translated by Julia & Peter Sherwood.
As chair of the judges, Tonkin commented: “The shortlisted works span many aspects of Jewish experience past and present, the dramas and tragedies of the 20th century, and the deepest questions of life and death, faith and doubt. We warmly recommend all our chosen titles.”
The partnership of the Jewish Literary Foundation with the TLS builds on a shared commitment to literature in translation, opening a window onto global writing for English-language readers and celebrating voices that deserve wider recognition. As part of the partnership, Peter Filkins will be speaking at the Jewish Literary Foundation’s flagship annual festival Jewish Book Week 2026 in a wider event on translation, joined by judges of the prize and chaired by Toby Lichtig, Fiction and Politics Editor of the TLS. The event, Translation: An Unfolding Dialogue, will explore the art of translation and its vital role in carrying stories, ideas and cultures across languages and borders.
Details and tickets for the Translation: An Unfolding Dialogue event at Jewish Book Week 2026 can be found here.
More details about the Freudenheim Translation Prize can be found here.
ABOUT THE JEWISH LITERARY FOUNDATION
The Jewish Literary Foundation presents the best in Jewish literature and ideas through live events and cultural experiences, inspiring readership and a lifelong engagement with Jewish culture for wide audiences. Their year-round activities include the flagship annual Jewish Book Week (JBW) festival, translation prizes, an emerging writers’ programme, schools programme, regular events and their JLF Player – a free and accessible video player presenting the best of JBW and beyond.
ABOUT JEWISH BOOK WEEK
Jewish Book Week is London’s longest running literary festival, taking place annually since its inception in 1952. The festival is hosted by the Jewish Literary Foundation, whose mission is to encourage active engagement with Jewish books and ideas, and cultivate a passion for the Jewish literary tradition. From its flagship annual festival to its JLF Video Player, creative opportunities and live cultural experiences, the JLF connects, inspires and entertains year-round.
