The English version of the Iranian novelThe Colonelby Mahmoud Dowlatabadi has been nominated for the 2013 Best Translated Book Award (BTBA).
Dowlatabadis book entered the nomination final list of the American literary event BTBA held by the University of Rochester in the United States.
Released by Melville House Publication in the US,The Colonelwas translated from Persian into English by Tom Patterdale.
The book chronicles life of a colonel who remembers the memories of his families and friends in his solitude.
Dowlatabadis fiction is slated to contend for award with the Nobel laureate Herta Mullers creation and other works from eight different countries such as France, Romania, Switzerland, Brazil and Russia.
The Planetsby Sergio Chejfec, translated from Spanish by Heather Cleary;Prehistoric Timesby Eric Chevillard, translated from French by Alyson Waters; andMaidenhairby Mikhail Shishkin, translated from Russian by Marian Schwartz are among the finalists.
Born in 1940, Dowlatabadi is an Iranian writer and actor who is known as a realist writer of stories on rural life, in which he largely draws on his own experiences.
The result is scheduled to be announced on May 3, 2013, and the winner will garner a USD 5000 prize.
Established in 2007, the Best Translated Book Awards aims to bring attention to the finest original works of international fiction and poetry published in the United States.