Translation: Japan-U.S. Friendship Commission Prize for the Translation of Japanese Literature
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Via Kia Cheleen (CIR, Aichi-ken 1996-98, ALT 1998-1999) of the Donald Keene Center of Japanese Culture at Columbia University:
Call for submission for the Japan-U.S. Friendship Commission Prize for the Translation of Japanese Literature
We are currently accepting applications for Japanese to English translation of literary works for the Japan-U.S. Friendship Commission Prize for the Translation of Japanese Literature.
The Japan-U.S. Friendship Commission Prize has long set a standard of excellence in its field, playing a central and enduring role in enhancing the quality, quantity, and scope of Japanese literary works that receive translation into the English language. Annually, it awards the Prize to the best translation of a book- length modern work or a classical work, which is selected by the translators themselves.
The 2011 Japan-U.S. Friendship Commission Prize application deadline is Thursday, October 28, 2010.
For submission guidelines and the application form, please click here: http://www.keenecenter.org/content/view/58/76/
Translation: First Annual William F. Sibley Memorial Translation Prize
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Via JETAA Chicago October Webletter:
Call for Submissions: First Annual William F. Sibley Memorial Translation Prize
To honor their late colleague William F. Sibley, The Department of East Asian Languages & Civilizations and the Committee on Japanese Studies of the Center for East Asian Studies at the University of Chicago have established the William F. Sibley Memorial Translation Prize in Japanese Literature and Literary Studies. The competition will be held annually and judged by members of the Committee on Japanese Studies.
In keeping with William Sibley’s lifelong devotion to translation and to the place of literature in the classroom, up to three awards of $2500 each will be given for the translation from Japanese into English of a work of fiction, poetry, or drama (including screenplays), or scholarship in literary studies, broadly understood. To encourage classroom use and comparative research, winning entries will be published on the Center for East Asian Studies website (http://ceas.uchicago.edu).
Submissions should be on the scale of short story rather than novel, on the one hand, but a body of poetry rather than single poems, on the other. Essays, reportage, and criticism are all genres for consideration. Retranslations of works previously translated, especially of premodern literature, may also be submitted. Translations of manga and anime will not be accepted, but scholarly essays about these genres will be considered. Translations of subtitles, no; scenarios, yes. Co-translations are acceptable.
Each entry should not exceed a length of 15,000 words and should be accompanied by an introduction of no more than 1,000 words presenting the significance of the work in Japan and its potential life in English. The rationale for retranslation should be separately addressed. Entries should be for unpublished works only. The committee will not consider more than one submission per person per year.
The deadline for the first competition is December 1, 2010.
Application materials should include:
A cover letter with the applicant’s full name, mailing address, email, and phone number.
Introduction (1,000 words or less)
A single printed version of both the English translation and the Japanese original, as well as a digital copy of each, preferably in .pdf format.
If applicable, a rationale for retranslation of previously translated works.
If applicable, proof of permission to translate. It is the responsibility of the applicant to secure permission from copyright holders for any works not in the public domain.
Send materials to:
Chair, Selection Committee, Sibley Memorial Translation Prize
Committee on Japanese Studies
5835 S. Kimbark Ave.
Judd Hall 302
Chicago, IL 60637
For additional information about William F. Sibley and his work, we encourage you to visit the William F. Sibley Memorial Symposium website at http://ceas.uchicago.edu/events/Sibley_Memorial_Conference.shtml.
For additional inquiries about the translation prize, contact Sarah Arehart at sarehart@uchicago.edu or 773-702-2715.
Rajio Taiso Project – JETAA Portland
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A little while back we posted about JETAA Portland’s effort to get every JETAA chapter to make a Rajio Taiso video in their city or town. Well, JETAA Portland has started things off with the first video.
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Inspired? For more information, or to submit your a video for your chapter, you can contact JETAA Portland’s webmaster Bob Schnyder at webmaster@jetaaportland.com or go to: http://www.jetaaportland.com/community-events/rajio-taiso-portland-japanese-gardens/
Contest: Second Annual International Furoshiki Design Contest
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Budding designers are invited to submit designs to the second annual International Furoshiki Design Contest. Furoshiki are traditional Japanese cloths used to wrap small objects.
Design Theme: Designs should evoke a fusion of the United States and Japan
Eligibility: Entry is open to individuals or groups engaged in the study of design or related subjects at a university of vocational school, and reside in the United States (Student of any nationality are welcome to enter the contest).
Deadline: Applications must be received no later than Fridday, October 29
For more information, visit The Japan Foundation, New York’s website at http://www.jfny.org/
Flyer: http://www.dc.jetalumni.org/wp-content/uploads/2010/09/flyer3.pdf
Guidelines: http://www.jfny.org/userfiles/file/English%20guidelines.pdf
Entry Sheet: http://www.jfny.org/userfiles/file/furoshiki%20English%20Entry%20sheet%20form.pdf
Submit your “Shin” photos for the JETAA Toronto Photo Exhibit – March 6
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The JETAA Toronto photo exhibit, entitled ‘shin‘ for the Japanese symbol for “new,” is our way of marking the start of a decade.
What symbolizes shin?
Perhaps it’s a picture that sums up the way everything felt new to you in Japan when you first arrived. A festival, a ritual, a small cultural difference. Or perhaps it’s a Japan-inspired photo taken back home in Canada that shows the old in a new light.
Selected works will be exhibited March 6 at the Gladstone Art Bar, where we will also have a deejay spinning tracks throughout the night.
Come join us as we celebrate the memories of our time in Japan and enjoy the good music. Drinks will be available on site.
Date: Saturday March 6, 2010
Event: Shin Photo Exhibit: Japan-inspired works by former JET’s
Location: Gladstone Art Bar, 1214 Queen St. W., Toronto, ON, Canada See map
Website: Toronto JETAA Homepage http://toronto.jetaa.ca/cms/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=12&Itemid=26
Time: 7 p.m. until the bar’s closing time Cost: $5 entrance fee
JETAA DC: Japan Through Our Eyes: Photographs by JET Program Participants
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Via JETAA DC:
Greetings JETAA DC members!
We are proud to announce plans to hold a JETAA photo exhibit entitled, “Japan Through Our Eyes: Photographs by JET Program Participants,” which will be held at the Embassy of Japan’s Japan Information & Culture Center (JICC) this December. This exhibit will highlight the works of current and former participants as a way to celebrate Japan and give JET Program participants an outlet for sharing their favorite memories of their time on the JET Program.
The objective of “Japan Through Our Eyes: Photographs by JET Program Participants” is to educate the public about Japan via the eyes of current and former JET participants.
To make this possible, we need YOUR photo submissions! We are now accepting photographs taken in Japan. Full submission guidelines are listed below. Make sure to send your photos by September 12th in order to be considered!
This exhibit is coordinated by JETAA DC, JICC, the JET Program office at the Embassy of Japan, and the Center for Professional Exchange (CEPEX).
I’m very excited that we’ve been given the opportunity to exhibit our photography at the Embassy of Japan. Let’s show the DC area our images from Japan! I look forward to seeing everyone’s submissions.
With best wishes,
Heather McDonald
Ad Hoc Chair
jetaadc_photos [at] yahoo.com
SUBMISSION GUIDELINES
NOTE 1: Please limit your submission to no more than 3 photos.
NOTE 2: By entering your submission you are deemed to have accepted Terms and Conditions provided in the Group Rules, below. Read More
U.S. High School Japanese Karaoke Contest – via YouTube
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Definitely some future JET alums in this crowd. It turns out there’s a national contest for U.S. high school students to submit “karaoke videos” in which they sing Japanese songs which are then judged by a panel of experts. (Come to think of it, I wonder if there are any JET alums now working as Japanese teachers who have students who submitted videos.)
You can see the full slate of the winner and finalists here: http://www.cheng-tsui.com/superstar/index.php?q=finalists
And the winning entry below:
Writing Opporunity: Write the ending for “The Strange Ship: Part II”
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James Kennedy (Nara-ken, 2004-06), author of The Order of Odd-Fish, has a strangely compelling post on his blog asking readers to help him write the ending to the first book he ever wrote–The Strange Ship.
[A]s a lark, back in November I posted The Strange Ship, the first book I ever wrote (I was seven years old). I mentioned I had written a sequel. Some of the students in Mrs. Vivian’s fifth grade class asked me to put it online. My pleasure!
In The Strange Ship, two nameless space explorers called “moneymen” and their trusty droid 5-0-6 stumbled upon a strange ship full of monsters (including the giants Carziperes, Diploziperes, and Zarzit). The moneymen then proceeded to blow up the ship by making all the monsters simultaneously sneeze.
Clearly a sequel was required, to tie up all those loose ends. So let me take you back to March 13, 1981-almost exactly 28 years ago-and The Strange Ship: Part II.
However, I must warn you-the last couple pages are, tragically, missing! The story breaks off right in the middle of the climax! But America, my carelessness is your opportunity. I propose a contest. Draw / write YOUR OWN ending to The Strange Ship: Part II and send it to me! Let’s make the deadline April 15, 2009. I’ll post the new endings right here on this blog, and there will be prizes!
Click here to read the full post and experience the wonderful drawings in their entirety.
Help JET alum Suzette Simon get into the Caroline’s Comedy Competition
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Click here to vote for Suzette Simon (Tochigi-ken) (aka “The Subway Comic“) to be one of the entrants in Caroline’s “March Madness.” (Here’s the full voting URL address: http://www.like2laugh.com/comics/comedian.php?ent=-%20Suzette%20Simon%20-)
“March Madness” hosted by Caroline’s Comedy Club is one of NYC’s most challenging and fun comedy competitions. It’s 64 comics going head to head for comedy glory! However, to win it, she’s got to get in it. So help Suzette out by voting her in. (You can vote OFTEN but only once a day.)
The deadline is Sunday, March 1.
Yoroshiku onegaishimasu.
Learn more about Suzette at her website: http://www.subwaycomic.com/ and by watching this NY1 feature on her.
Casting for two TV shows
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JET Alum Suzette Brown (Tochigi-ken), a casting producer, shared the following two casting calls:
1. PURSUIT OF HEALTH
Currently seeking men and women from a variety of ethnicities, ages and Tri-State area locations for a health series for the web for a major online provider. This is not scripted. Casting for real stories.
The topic is staying healthy and the series is hosted by two health experts. We’re looking to feature people with 2 types of health stories – inspirations and interventions. With interventions, we’re looking for people with a real life health issue (nothing major) that our host helps to resolve. With inspirations, we will showcase various people who will share their tips and show us how they remain healthy (e.g. a dancer who has to nurse her aches and pains so she can dance her next show, a singer tells how she nurses a sore throat, etc).
I’d love to find someone who uses Japanese remedies to stay healthy.
Compensation is $200 for a half day shoot to tell your story. Must be available on March 7 to audition. Please respond with a blurb on your own unique strategy for staying well or tell us what your health issue is. You can email: Read More
Ministry of Foreign Affairs Manga Contest: Meredith Hodges-Boos’ submission
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Writer and artist Meredith Hodges-Boos (Ehime-ken, 2003-05) recently submitted the below entry for the manga contest sponsored by Japan’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs, a contest which I’m guessing ties in with Prime Minister Taro Aso’s “manga diplomacy” (explained in more detail in NPR’s 10/3/08 interview with Roland Kelts (Osaka, 1998-99). I encourage everyone to take look at Meredith’s wonderful work that pays homage to the JET Program as well as to the world of manga. (Suggestion: Click the button at the bottom of the video player to expand the screen so you can read the dialogue.)
Haiku Challenge #3 – Winner!
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Roland Kelts (Osaka, 1998-99), author of Japanamerica, has reviewed all haiku submissions containing the designated word “pop“ for Haiku Challenge #3 and has selected a winner to receive a free copy of Japanamerica + Susan Napier’s Anime: From Akira to Howl’s Moving Castle.
Says Roland: “As a half-Japanese drummer and writer, I can’t resist finding a paradiddle and bubble-blowing carp in a haiku. Congratulations, Julie Matysik–and thanks to all for stellar contributions.”
THE WINNER
A paradiddle.
The sticks connect, pop, bounce,
like koi blowing bubbles.
—Julie Matysik (Yamanashi-ken, 2006-07)
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Click “Read More” to read the rest of the haiku submissions…
Read More
2009 JET Programme Essay Contest
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In case you haven’t recently checked the CLAIR website, here is the official announcement about the 17th Annual JET Programme Essay Competition. This year’s submissions are due by Friday, March 13, 2009. This annual contest is open to both current and former JETs.
Shannon Rochelle Quinn
JETAA USA Country Rep 2006-2009
Prizes (tentative, based on last year)
- Japanese Language Division
Grand Jury Prize \ 100,000 (1 entry)
Prize for Excellence \ 50,000 (1 entry)
Honourary Mention \ 10,000 (3 entries)
- Foreign Language Division
Grand Jury Prize \ 100,000 (1 entry)
Prize for Excellence \ 50,000 (1 entry)
Honourary Mention \ 10,000 (3 entries)
(Click “Read More” for details) Read More
Deadline: Thursday, January 8, before 5:00p.m. EST
Welcome to the JetWit Haiku Challenge! The challenge is to submit one or more haiku using the designated word. The best haiku submitted wins the prize.
This challenge is courtesy of Roland Kelts (Osaka, 1998-99), author of Japanamerica: How Japanese Pop Culture Has Invaded the U.S., published by Palgrave Macmillan. You can also follow Roland on his blog japanamerica.blogspot.com.
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Designated word: “Pop” (you must use this word in your haiku; multiple submissions welcome)
- Deadline: Thursday, January 8, before 5:00p.m. EST
- Prize: Free copy of Japanamerica + Susan Napier’s Anime: From Akira to Howl’s Moving Castle mailed to you.
- Form: Haiku are typically 5-7-5 and have a seasonal reference. (Though the form actually has a fair amount of flexibility.)
- E-mail responses to: jetwit /atto/ jetwit /dotto/ com
Haiku Challenge #3 – “Pop”
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Welcome to the JetWit Haiku Challenge! The challenge is to submit one or more haiku using the designated word. The best haiku submitted wins the prize.
This challenge is courtesy of Roland Kelts (Osaka, 1998-99), author of Japanamerica: How Japanese Pop Culture Has Invaded the U.S., published by Palgrave Macmillan. You can also follow Roland on his blog japanamerica.blogspot.com.
-
Designated word: “Pop” (you must use this word in your haiku; multiple submissions welcome)
- Deadline: Thursday, January 8, before 5:00p.m. EST
- Prize: Free copy of Japanamerica + Susan Napier’s Anime: From Akira to Howl’s Moving Castle mailed to you.
- Form: Haiku are typically 5-7-5 and have a seasonal reference. (Though the form actually has a fair amount of flexibility.)
- E-mail responses to: jetwit /atto/ jetwit /dotto/ com
