Language Lanterns Founders Receive Inaugural Translation Prize

On May 19, 2009 the Board of Directors of the Canadian Foundation for Ukrainian Studies (CFUS) announced that Dr. Roma Franko and her sister, the late Sonia Morris, were selected as the first recipients of the George S. N. Luckyj Ukrainian Literature Translation Prize.

The Prize is named in honour of the late Professor George S. N. Luckyj, an eminent Ukrainian Canadian Slavist, editor, and translator of Ukrainian literature. Roma Franko and Sonia Morris were awarded the Luckyj Prize for their dedication to and tremendous efforts and achievements in translating Ukrainian literature into English and making it accessible to a wide reading audience.

After taking early retirement from their respective academic careers at the University of Saskatchewan in 1996, the sisters embarked on new careers, Roma Franko as translator and Sonia Morris as editor. Together they founded Language Lanterns Publications dedicated to publishing works of Ukrainian literature in English translation. To date, seventeen volumes have appeared translated by Roma Franko and edited by Sonia Morris. A further three volumes are in preparation.

Roma Franko currently lives in Toronto. Sonia Morris passed away in 2007.

The Prize was presented to Dr. Franko and the family of the late Sonia Morris on June 3, 2009 in Toronto. Family members included Sonia's son, Paul Cipywnyk, a Vancouver-based freelance writer, editor and photographer.

More details at Paul's blog here.