Osdany Morales's poetry collection Security Questions, translated by Harry Bauld, has been named the winner of the first Poetry in Translation Prize. The award recognizes outstanding poetry collections translated into English, with publication set for early 2027. The book explores themes of exile and memory from Morales's experiences in Cuba.
The Poetry in Translation Prize, a biennial award co-presented by Giramondo, selected Security Questions from 259 submissions. Judges chose it from a shortlist of eight titles. Originally published in Spanish in 2015 as El Pasado es un Pueblo Solitario by Almenara Press, the collection was shortlisted in English under the title The Past is a Lonesome Town.
Morales and Bauld met while working at the same school. Bauld discovered Morales's poems online and translated one as a welcoming gesture. Morales responded positively, noting how strange it was to hear his own voice in English.
Bauld described the work as a lyric sequence about growing up in small-town Cuba during the late years of Fidel Castro's regime, combined with reflections on exile and immigration. He highlighted the poems' focus on traces left by leaving a challenging homeland for uncertain prospects.
Morales, who initially wrote only fiction before moving to the US, credited the book with helping him access personal memories sooner. He explained that he once viewed fiction as non-confessional, believing only poetry allowed such depth. Through poetry, he realized exile had preserved memories in literary form, prompting an inward rather than purely backward gaze.
The winners share a US$5000 advance, equivalent to A$7500. The book will be published simultaneously by Giramondo in Australia and New Zealand, New Directions in North America, and Fitzcarraldo Editions in the UK and Ireland, with a release planned for early 2027.
