We came across so many riveting reads here at Global Literature in Libraries Initiative during 2020, we hope people spending more time at home enabled more of these great books to be discovered. It was a joy to share them!

Committee chair Dr. Annette Y. Goldsmith led our ace jury of experts in choosing our Global Literature in Libraries Initiative second annual Translated Young Adult literature awards in 2020: the winners were The Beast Player by Nahoko Uehashi, translated from Japanese by Cathy Hirano, and Maresi Red Mantle by Maria Turtschaninoff, translated from Swedish by A. A. (Annie) Prime. You can read our second year shortlist here, and the winners and shortlist from our inaugural year of the award here. Our third year of the award is shaping up to be even more exciting as 2021 committee chair David Jacobson says submissions are up 38%. 

Our ongoing feature #WorldKidLitWednesday has highlighted the best of #WorldKidLit from around the world. We appreciate our skilled team of reviewers, Nanette McGuiness, Laura Taylor, and Klem-Mari Cajigas for scouting titles that will inspire young people to wonder, discover, and read about people, places and topics around the world.

Global Literature in Libraries Initiative has been aided by highly talented guest editors all year long who shone a light on literature in their corner of the world. Here’s a list of what and who we featured throughout 2020:

#WomenInTranslation with book blogger Sophie Baggot, reading one book by women from each country around the world

#NewZealandLitMonth with Kiwi librarian, Amanda Bond

#BrazilianLitMonth with Comparative Literature Scholar Başak Bingöl Yüce from Turkey

#GlobalPRIDELitMonth with Canadian Librarian-To-Be, Anita Fata

#CrimeFiction with USA translator and GLLI board member Rachel Hildebrandt

#PuertoRicanKidLit with Nashville Public Library Family Literacy Coordinator, Klem-Mari Cajigas

#IndependentPublishers of #TranslatedLit with Irish novelist, Rónán Hession

#ExileLit with Chicago librarian Lesley Williams

#SouthAsianLit in Translation with writer/translator Jenny Bhatt, founder of the Desi Books podcast.

In 2020, we also said thank you to our founding Executive Director Rachel Hildebrandt who has transitioned from Executive Director of GLLI to GLLI board member. Thank you, Rachel, for getting GLLI off to a glorious start! 

On behalf of our GLLI Board members and community, here’s to a new year celebrating even more fantastic global literature in our libraries!

Karen Van Drie (she/her)

Executive Director

Global Literature in Libraries Initiative