In Toronto June 2025, The international Griffin Poetry Prize announced the 2025 Griffin Poetry Prize winner - Professor Karen Leeder, FRSA, MAE, Schwarz-Taylor Chair of German Language and Literature, Oxford for her translation of Psyche Running: Selected Poems 2005-2022 by renowned German poet Durs Grünbein. It's exciting for TORCH to report on one of our favourite collaborators Professor Leeder (MML).
The prize is one of the world’s most generous poetry awards and the world’s largest international prize for a single book of poetry written in, or translated into English. It’s equivalent to the International Booker and the roll call of previous winners is rather something. It’s one of the few prizes that allows English language and translated works to compete on an even footing.
The prestigious international award recognises excellence in poetry written or translated into English. Leeder’s translation was selected from 578 submissions representing 20 languages and 17 countries.
Published by Seagull Books in 2024, Psyche Running offers an expansive overview of Grünbein’s work over nearly two decades. The judging panel described the volume as ‘a brilliant overview and selection of a poet who satisfies our hunger to be serious’, praising Leeder’s translation for establishing ‘a new version of Grünbein in English: universal, lyrical, philosophical’.
Professor Leeder, Schwarz-Taylor Chair of German Language and Literature, said:
"I am so delighted about this tremendous honour from the Griffin Foundation. It is very good for the visibility of poetry translation and also for promoting German and European poetry. Durs Grünbein is one of the essential poets in the world today and I am privileged to be able to bring him to a wider English readership."
Professor Karen Leeder at the Griffin Poetry Prize Readings held at Koerner Hall.
The international Griffin Poetry Prize was founded in 2000 to encourage and celebrate excellence in poetry. The prize is for first edition books of poetry written in, or translated into, English and submitted from anywhere in the world.
TORCH was also privileged to welcome Karen as a Book at Lunchtime author for another first translation into English of the Durs.
Grunbein work: Porcelain: Poem for the Downfall of my City
Durs Grünbein was born on 9 October 1962 in Dresden. He is one of the most important and internationally powerful German poets and essayists. After the opening of the Iron Curtain, he traveled through Europe, Southeast Asia, and the United States. He was a guest of the German Department of New York University and The Villa Aurora in Los Angeles. He has received numerous awards for his work, including the Georg Büchner Prize, the Friedrich Nietzsche Prize, the Friedrich Hölderlin Prize and the Polish Zbigniew Herbert International Literary Award. His books have been translated into several languages. He lives in Berlin and Rome.
At TORCH we look forward to the possibility of some very exciting events with Karen in the future and her Faculty will be starting their new and exciting Creative Translation Masters (opening for applications in October) which will capitalise on the expertise in Oxford.
Karen Leeder and Durs Grünbein interviewed by Griffin Trustee Sarah Howe
Karen Leeder interviewed by Pádraig Ó Tuama
