Notes on a Return to the Ever-Dying Lands: Those Without Tombs in Memory Park

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On poems by the disappeared Argentinean child Franca Jarach, and her mother’s recent statements to the German Chancellor. A video on YouTube went viral in Argentina a few weeks ago. It shows one of the May Plaza Mothers, Vera Jarach, coming to meet the visiting German chancellor in Memory Park (Parque de la Memoria). Merkel seems … Continue reading Notes on a Return to the Ever-Dying Lands: Those Without Tombs in Memory Park

Excerpt: Poets on the Edge: An Anthology of Contemporary Hebrew Poetry

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A SMALL ERROR IN THE MACHINE When the Nazis came they were quite polite. The father was a known figure, at least to them, the Italian mother was no problem, they only wished to verify a few minor details. That's all, according to protocol. They entered the flat, didn't even presume to sit down. However, … Continue reading Excerpt: Poets on the Edge: An Anthology of Contemporary Hebrew Poetry

USBBY Outstanding International Book Pick: Night Guard by Synne Lea

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Friendship, fear, loneliness — these are things that are universally experienced but difficult to describe. In this arresting poetry collection, Synne Lea explores these concepts and more through the thoughts and experiences of a family. As the family members examine their connections with each other and the world around them, they gain a deeper appreciation … Continue reading USBBY Outstanding International Book Pick: Night Guard by Synne Lea

Hebrew Speculative Fiction in Translation

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We may not have a ton of Hebrew speculative fiction in English translation (SFT) (or Hebrew sf at all), but what we do have shows the diverse and highly-imaginative ways in which Hebrew-language writers explore the complexities of ethnicity, religion, and the State of Israel. From horrifying dystopias to meditations on mysticism and fantasy literature, … Continue reading Hebrew Speculative Fiction in Translation

Publisher Spotlight: Orenda Books

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Orenda Books is a British-based publishing house that publishes literary and crime fiction. The London-based publisher was established in 2014 and publishes debut and existing authors including Ragnar Jónasson, Thomas Enger, Michael Grothaus, Gunnar Staalesen, and Kati Hiekkapelto. In its first year of operations Orenda published six titles, increasing that to sixteen titles in its … Continue reading Publisher Spotlight: Orenda Books

Review: Sephardic Jews and the Spanish Language by Ángel Pulido

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Sephardic Jews and the Spanish Language offers an incomparable lens into the transnational exchanges between Spanish politician, Ángel Pulido, and a handful of prominent Spanish Jews across Eastern Europe and Turkey. Pulido's acquaintances, whom he met during his travels in the Balkans, were the descendants of the exiled Spanish Jews of the infamous 1493 Inquisition. … Continue reading Review: Sephardic Jews and the Spanish Language by Ángel Pulido

A Month of Turkish Literature via Global Literature in Libraries Initiative

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https://www.ted.com/talks/ann_morgan_my_year_reading_a_book_from_every_country_in_the_world By Karen Van Drie, Editor of Turkish Literature Month for Global Literature in Libraries Like a lot of people who love to read, I was captivated by Ann Morgan's reading innovation of reading a book from every country in the world. What a cool idea! Short of visiting every nation in the world, how … Continue reading A Month of Turkish Literature via Global Literature in Libraries Initiative

Six Titles on the Kurdish Experience in Turkey

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By Burhan Sönmez Board Member, PEN International Mountain Language by Harold Pinter was first performed at the Royal National Theatre in London in 1988. It was a play written three years after Pinter’s visit to Turkey for observing the consequences of a military coup in the country. When he, with Arthur Miller, on behalf of … Continue reading Six Titles on the Kurdish Experience in Turkey

‘I Am Listening to Istanbul’ a poem by Orhan Veli

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https://vimeo.com/37545910 I AM LISTENING TO ISTANBUL I am listening to Istanbul, intent, my eyes closed: At first there is a gentle breeze And the leaves on the trees Softly sway; Out there, far away, The bells of water-carriers unceasingly ring; I am listening to Istanbul, intent, my eyes closed.   I am listening to Istanbul, … Continue reading ‘I Am Listening to Istanbul’ a poem by Orhan Veli

‘Gavur Mahallesi’ by Migirdic Margosyan

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by Matthew Chovanec While working on edits for the translation of 'Gavur Mahallesi' by  Mıgırdiç Margosyan, I received feedback for each of the four different languages used in the book of short stories. Over lunch, an Armenian staff writer at a New York magazine told me that it would be better to translate ‘Agavni’ as … Continue reading ‘Gavur Mahallesi’ by Migirdic Margosyan