We are delighted to announce that Year 10 pupil, Lizz B, was selected for a commendation in the Anthea Bell Prize for Young Translators. Lizz entered the Year 10-11 category and translated a passage from a novel telling the story of the author Maryse Condé’s childhood in Guadeloupe. Guadeloupe, an island in the Caribbean, was made an Overseas Department of France (DOM: Département d’Outre-Mer) in 1946, which means that Guadeloupe has the same status as any region of mainland France and the inhabitants of Guadeloupe are French citizens. In the opening chapter of this novel, the narrator recalled how much her parents loved their trips to France which had been interrupted by the outbreak of the Second World War. The passage recounted the experience of their first trip back to Paris in 1946.   

Over 22,000 students participated in the competition in 2025 with almost 5,000 entries judged, so this is a fantastic achievement. The judges also commented on the very high standard of entries this year and remarked that it was extremely hard to choose winners and commendations. Lizz’s success sits alongside that of Cerys D who won the Spanish Level 4 category.