Jenny Lu, University of Queensland, Brisbane, Australia takes First Prize

Yaqi Xi, University of Warwick, UK joint runner-up

Alexis Wu, University of Michigan, US joint runner-up

Beijing/London June 18th 2026: At the 2026 Beijing International Book Fair, the international bestselling author, BIBF Reading Ambassador, Liu Zhenyun announced the winners of the Voices of Today Translation Prize. Jenny Lu, a doctorate student from University of Queensland, Brisbane, Australia took first prize with runners-up Yaqi Xi, PhD researcher and associate tutor from Warwick University, UK and Alexis Wu, literary translator, historical linguist from University of Michigan, US. 

Launched this year to encourage and discover new voices in Chinese-English literary translation, The Voices of Today Literary Translation Prize attracted over 100 entries from 14 countries with the participants invited to translate a substantial excerpt from international bestselling, Liu Zhenyun’s, new novel – Salty Jokes*.

The Judging Panel comprised prize-winning sinologists and academics: Chair, Nicky Harman (Paper Republic); Esther Tyldesley (University of Edinburgh); Amanda Ruiqing Flynn (writer and poet).

Remarking on the winners the judges said the following: 

Of the Winner, Jenny Lu Amanda Ruiqing Flynn said:  ‘It is said that much work goes into making something appear effortless, and this is true of the winning entry. It was a real pleasure for the judges to read this translation – the translator displayed a deftness in rendering the tone and emotional logic of Liu Zhenyun’s writing, maintaining its understated elegance with confidence. The translation skillfully balances layers of comedy and contemplation in the story, knowing when each takes the lead through intuitive adjustments in tone, rhythm and syntax.This tension holds the reader, allowing the story to flourish in English whilst simultaneously remaining true to its original.’

Jenny Lu comments:
‘It means a great deal to me to be the first recipient of this prize. Literary translation tends to work in the background, which is partly its nature, so to see it celebrated like this is something I'll carry with me. I'm especially glad the prize begins with Chinese fiction, and with a writer like Liu Zhenyun, whose work deserves a wide English readership. My thanks to the judges, to Singing Grass, and to Paper Republic for creating something that takes this work seriously.’

Of Runner-Up, Yaqi Xi Esther Tyldesley said:  ‘All the judges agreed that this was a very strong contender indeed. We felt that it stood up very well to scrutiny when read side by side with the source text, but that it also read very well as a piece of English. We praised the flow and rhythms of the writing, which dealt equally well with classical poetry, casual dialogue and deep philosophical concepts. We also particularly appreciated the thoughtful word choices, especially in places where very Chinese concepts were transferred into accessible, idiomatic English. An excellent, polished, quietly sophisticated piece of work.’

Yaqi Xi comments:
‘I am very grateful to Singing Grass, Paper Republic, and the judges for this recognition, and for creating a prize that makes space for literary translators to be seen and for literary voices from China to travel further. I feel honoured to have spent time with Mr Liu Zhenyun’s new novel, Salty Jokes, through translation. I found myself moved by its humour and wisdom, and by the depth of feeling it draws out of ordinary life. I believe this story will find its way into many readers’ hearts in China and far beyond.’

Of Runner-Up, Alexis Wu Nicky Harman said:
‘The judges loved the voice of this translation: engaging, lively, slightly cheeky; perfectly in keeping with the original. The translator dealt successfully with the many linguistic challenges, including conveying culturally unfamiliar concepts, and the natural-sounding dialogue and confident tone of the translation made for a great read. We liked the subtle way the use of dialect was indicated, and enjoyed the imaginative word choices. Altogether, a very promising entry.’

Alexis Wu comments:
‘I am gladdened and honoured to be the runner-up of the inaugural Voices of Today Literary Translation Prize. I regret that I cannot personally attend the Beijing International Book Fair this year, but I do hope I may get to be back there someday soon. My gratitude to Singing Grass and Paper Republic for organising this contest and to the panel of judges for their recognition. Congratulations also to my two fellow prizewinners; may our passion for translation persist and continue to flourish’.

Commenting overall on the the high standard of entries, and on behalf of the judging panel Nicky Harman said, ’The judges would like to congratulate the organisers of the inaugural Voices of Today Translation Prize; we translators have waited a long time to see an international Chinese-to-English translation prize commensurate with the quality of translations coming out of the Sinophone world, and Voices of Today did not disappoint.’

During the presentation at BIBF, Liu Zhenyun celebrated the art of literary translation, acknowledging the different voices that can inform a text, through the presentation of the 7 different descriptive names attributed to the ‘liquor’ referred to in the text translated by the Voices of Today shortlisted participants: Daily Grain Liquor - Alex Woodend (USA), Ration Liquor - Alexis Wu (USA/UK), Daily Rations - Andrew Rule (US), Liquid Rations - Christopher MacDonald (UK), Ration Spirit - Jenny Lu (Australia), Daily Drop - Yaqi Xi (UK), Daily Booze - Yee Heng Yeh (Malaysia). 

Created and administered by Singing Grass UK and China, the Voices of Today Literary Translation Prize aims to connect contemporary literary output from China with the rest of the world while showcasing the wealth of a new generation of literary translators from Chinese to English. 

*Salty Jokes - Working title

Notes to Editors:

About the Voices of Today Literary Translation Prize
Singing Grass and Paper Republic are delighted to announce a new literary translation prize from Chinese to English, designed to showcase literary translators of contemporary voices. The inaugural prize invited participants to translate an extract from Salty Jokes, the latest novel by acclaimed Mao Dun Prize-winning author Liu Zhenyun. The winning translator will receive £1500 and 2 runners-up £500 each. The submissions were judged by an international Jury of translation experts.

About Singing Grass
Singing Grass is a UK and China based cultural communications agency with the objective of building meaningful bridges between Chinese and English-language publishing and the arts. We specialise in representation, research projects and cultural exchange, helping Chinese publishers and authors find the right international partners, and supporting Western publishers discover new voices from the East.

About Paper Republic  Paper Republic is a registered Charity in the UK, run by a team of volunteers and trustees, dedicated to finding the very best new Chinese writing, and promoting it to English-language readers; we publish translations of short fiction and poetry online, all completely free to read; and we help translators produce higher-quality translations, by providing education, information and resources.  

About the Judges

Nicky Harman lives in the UK. She translates full-time from Chinese, focussing on contemporary fiction, literary non-fiction, and occasionally poetry, by a wide variety of authors. She also works for Paper-Republic.org, a non-profit registered in the UK, as a volunteer and a trustee. In 2020 she won the Special Book Award of China.

Esther Tyldesley is a literary translator with over 20 years’ experience in the field. She lives in Edinburgh, where she teaches Chinese language and Chinese-English translation at the University of Edinburgh.

Amanda Ruiqing Flynn is a writer, poet, literary translator and visual artist. She was a winner of the Golden Point Award in Translation 2025. Her writing has been anthologised in Best New Singaporean Short Stories. Raised in the United Kingdom, she currently resides in her birthplace, Singapore. 

About the Winners

Jenny Lu (Winner) is a published English-Chinese translator, bilingual writer, and professional localiser based in Brisbane, Australia, where she is currently pursuing a PhD in Translation Studies at University of Queensland. 

Yaqi Xi (Joint runner-up) is a literary translator and postgraduate researcher at the University of Warwick, UK. Her translations and writings have appeared in Eunoia Review and elsewhere. She is a 2026 recipient of the Visible Communities Translator Residency at the National Centre for Writing (UK).

Alexis Wu (Joint runner-up) was born in 1994 in Shenyang and lived in the US between 2008 and 2025, receiving a bachelor’s degree in linguistics from University of Chicago and a master’s from University of Michigan. Alexis has done literary translation on a freelance basis for more than a decade and now resides in London, UK.