The Mutlu Konuk Blasing Scholarships in Translation

Born in Istanbul, Mutlu Konuk Blasing was the translator, with Randy Blasing, of many works by Turkey’s preeminent modern poet Nâzım Hikmet as well as several pioneering studies of modern poetry, Nâzım Hikmet: The Life and Times of Turkey’s World Poet (Persea, 2013), the first full-length critical biography of the poet in English and the translation of Hikmet’s novel, Life’s Good, Brother (2014) which was short-listed for the National Translation Award. Konuk Blasing taught at Brown University for nearly forty years, inspiring many students including The Adroit Journal’s founding Senior Editor of Translations. We recognize Konuk Blasing’s scholarship by awarding three emerging translators in poetry or prose as Mutlu Konuk Blasing Scholars in Translation each year.

All emerging writers who have not published full-length books in translation are eligible (regardless of age, geographic location, or educational status), and are encouraged to submit. Writers with forthcoming debut books are eligible so long as collections won’t appear earlier than April 2027.

Mutlu Konuk Blasing Scholars receive $200 and publication of their portfolios of work in a future issue of the Adroit Journal. Finalists will be awarded copies of one of Mutlu’s books and a list of semifinalists determined by the editors will be released with results.

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