Len Rix
Encyclopedia
Len Rix is a translator of Hungarian
literature, noted for his translations of Antal Szerb
's Journey by Moonlight
and The Pendragon Legend
and of Magda Szabó
's The Door
.
in 1942, where he studied English, French and Latin at the (then) University College of Rhodesia and Nyasaland. In 1963 he won a Commonwealth Scholarship
to King's College, Cambridge
, where he read English. He worked as a lecturer at the University of Rhodesia/Zimbabwe and teacher of English at Manchester Grammar School
(where he was also Head of Careers) before retiring in 2005 to live in Cambridge
.
's The Door
("Az ajtó", 1987) was short-listed for the Independent Foreign Fiction Prize
and awarded the 2006 Oxford-Weidenfeld Translation Prize
.
Hungary
Hungary , officially the Republic of Hungary , is a landlocked country in Central Europe. It is situated in the Carpathian Basin and is bordered by Slovakia to the north, Ukraine and Romania to the east, Serbia and Croatia to the south, Slovenia to the southwest and Austria to the west. The...
literature, noted for his translations of Antal Szerb
Antal Szerb
Antal Szerb was a noted Hungarian scholar and writer. He is recognized as one of the major Hungarian literary personalities of the 20th century.-Life and work:...
's Journey by Moonlight
Journey by Moonlight (novel)
Journey by Moonlight is among the best-known novels in Hungarian literature. Written by Antal Szerb, it was first published in 1937...
and The Pendragon Legend
The Pendragon Legend
The Pendragon Legend is a 1934 novel by the Hungarian writer Antal Szerb.The book is a philosophical thriller/comedy/murder-mystery/ghost story set first in London and then in Wales...
and of Magda Szabó
Magda Szabó
Magda Szabó was a Hungarian writer, arguably Hungary's foremost woman novelist. She also wrote dramas, essays, studies, memories and poetry....
's The Door
The Door (novel)
The Door is a novel by Hungarian writer Magda Szabó . The novel concerns the developing relationship between a young Hungarian writer and her cleaner, and is partly autobiographical....
.
Personal life
Len Rix was born in ZimbabweZimbabwe
Zimbabwe is a landlocked country located in the southern part of the African continent, between the Zambezi and Limpopo rivers. It is bordered by South Africa to the south, Botswana to the southwest, Zambia and a tip of Namibia to the northwest and Mozambique to the east. Zimbabwe has three...
in 1942, where he studied English, French and Latin at the (then) University College of Rhodesia and Nyasaland. In 1963 he won a Commonwealth Scholarship
Commonwealth Scholarship
The Commonwealth Scholarship and Fellowship Plan is an international programme under which Commonwealth governments offer scholarships and fellowships to citizens of other Commonwealth countries.-History:...
to King's College, Cambridge
King's College, Cambridge
King's College is a constituent college of the University of Cambridge, England. The college's full name is "The King's College of our Lady and Saint Nicholas in Cambridge", but it is usually referred to simply as "King's" within the University....
, where he read English. He worked as a lecturer at the University of Rhodesia/Zimbabwe and teacher of English at Manchester Grammar School
Manchester Grammar School
The Manchester Grammar School is the largest independent day school for boys in the UK . It is based in Manchester, England...
(where he was also Head of Careers) before retiring in 2005 to live in Cambridge
Cambridge
The city of Cambridge is a university town and the administrative centre of the county of Cambridgeshire, England. It lies in East Anglia about north of London. Cambridge is at the heart of the high-technology centre known as Silicon Fen – a play on Silicon Valley and the fens surrounding the...
.
Translations
Len Rix's first published translation was of Tamás Kabdebó's "Minden idők" ("A Time for Everything") (Cardinal Press, 1995), but he is best known for his renderings of Antal Szerb, especially "Journey by Moonlight" ("Utas és holdvilág", 1937), reprinted several times since first issued by Pushkin Press in 2001. In 2006 his translation of Magda SzabóMagda Szabó
Magda Szabó was a Hungarian writer, arguably Hungary's foremost woman novelist. She also wrote dramas, essays, studies, memories and poetry....
's The Door
The Door (novel)
The Door is a novel by Hungarian writer Magda Szabó . The novel concerns the developing relationship between a young Hungarian writer and her cleaner, and is partly autobiographical....
("Az ajtó", 1987) was short-listed for the Independent Foreign Fiction Prize
Independent Foreign Fiction Prize
The Independent Foreign Fiction Prize was inaugurated by British newspaper The Independent to honour contemporary fiction in translation in the United Kingdom. The award was first launched in 1990 and ran for five years before falling into abeyance. It was revived in 2001 with the financial support...
and awarded the 2006 Oxford-Weidenfeld Translation Prize
Oxford-Weidenfeld Translation Prize
Oxford-Weidenfeld Translation Prize is an annual literary prize for any book-length translation into English from any other living European language...
.