Flights, a novel about travel in the twenty-first century and human anatomy, is Olga Tokarczuk’s most ambitious to date. It interweaves travel narratives and reflections on travel with an in-depth exploration of the human body, broaching life, death, motion, and migration. From the seventeenth century, we have the story of the Dutch anatomist Philip Verheyen, … Continue reading Title Pick: FLIGHTS by Olga Tokarczuk
The Table that Ran Away to the Woods tells the tale of a writing desk that one day 'grabbed two pairs of shoes, ran downstairs, and took flight', escaping into the countryside with its owners in barefoot pursuit. This is the first time the story - first published in a Polish newspaper in occupied France … Continue reading USBBY Outstanding International Book Pick: THE TABLE THAT RAN AWAY TO THE WOODS by Stefan Themerson
Winner of Asymptote Journal’s 2016 Close Approximations Translation Contest and Shortlisted for the Ryszard Kapuscinski Prize, History of a Disappearance is the fascinating true story of a small mining town in the southwest of Poland that, after seven centuries of history, disappeared. Lying at the crucible of Central Europe, the Silesian village of Kupferberg suffered … Continue reading Adult Title Pick: HISTORY OF A DISAPPEARANCE by Filip Springer
Poem without mystery O to be a lock-keeper in Żuławy on a non-essential branch of the canal, amid a flat landscape. Every day to ride a bike to a concrete cabin smaller than a news kiosk. To watch through a little square window the risings and settings of the sun. To have no idea about … Continue reading Excerpt: POSTS by Tadeusz Dąbrowski
Archipelago Books is a not-for-profit press devoted to publishing excellent translations of classic and contemporary world literature. In our first twelve years, we have brought out over 120 books from more than thirty languages. Artistic exchange between cultures is a crucial aspect of global understanding: literature can act as a catalyst to dissolve stereotypes and to reveal a common … Continue reading Publisher Spotlight: Archipelago Books
From the award-winning Mauri Kunnas, one of Finland’s most celebrated children’s writers and illustrators, a hilarious picture book full of animals, humor, and colorful pictures. Mr. Clutterbuck is blissfully unaware of his reputation as the busiest and loudest sleepwalker in town. Meek and mild-mannered when awake, at night Mr. Clutterbuck seeks thrills and adventures. Often … Continue reading Children’s Title Pick: Goodnight Mr. Clutterbuck by Mauri Kunnas
Dalkey Archive Press has been called subversive, educational, experimental, innovative, and more. The initial ethos John O’Brien, John Bryne, and Lowell Dunlap established when the press was founded in 1981 has remained much the same, but with offices in London, Dublin, and Illinois, the press’s reach and influence travels far. From Catalonia to Norway to … Continue reading Publisher Spotlight: Dalkey Archive Press
On Friday 24th November, Newcastle University’s Children’s Literature Unit and Seven Stories: The National Centre for Children’s Books co-hosted Diverse Voices? Curating a National History of Children’s Books. This one-day symposium explored how Black, Asian and Minority Ethnic voices are represented in our national story of children’s literature. In this blog post, which originally … Continue reading Diverse Voices? Curating a National History of Children’s Books
Award-winning author Gerelchimeg Blackcrane has written a compelling novel, set in Tibet, Mongolia and China, about the adventures of a fiercely powerful yet lovable Tibetan mastiff that is sure to join the ranks of other much-read classic dog stories. Kelsang, a Tibetan mastiff, is just a tiny puppy when his mother dies after a vicious … Continue reading USBBY Outstanding International Book Pick: Black Flame by Gerelchimeg Blackcrane
Although it contains passages written in the 1910s and 1920s, Doctor Zhivago was not completed until 1956. The novel was submitted to the literary journal Novy Mir ("Новый Мир"). However, the editors rejected Pasternak's novel because of its implicit rejection of socialist realism. The author, like Zhivago, showed more concern for the welfare of individuals … Continue reading International Banned Book: Doctor Zhivago by Boris Pasternak
Global Literature in Libraries Initiative 