My dad and step-mum are champions of this project and for my birthday this year, they gave me two books, one representing Namibia and this one. In a Nutshell: This 130 page novella is part of the AWS (African Writers Series). It is a sort of whodunnit, it takes place on the eve of Eid, starting at … Continue reading Mozambique 🇲🇿: Neighbours: The Story of a Murder by Lília Momplé, tr. Richard Bartlett and Isaura de Oliveira
Gabon 🇬🇦: Awu’s Story by Justine Mintsa, tr. Cheryl Toman
Some time last year, I tweeted that I was looking for books by women from certain African countries, someone recommended this book, and it doesn’t disappoint. In a Nutshell: Awu’s Story is a story of Awu and her marriage to Obame, and of old traditions in Northern Gabon grappling with the change of modern customs in … Continue reading Gabon 🇬🇦: Awu’s Story by Justine Mintsa, tr. Cheryl Toman
Fiji 🇫🇯: A Privileged Life Denied by Sarote Fotfiri Erasito (tr. Sarote Fotfiri Erasito) in Poems from the Edge of Extinction: An Anthology of Poetry in Endangered Languages (Ed. Chris McCabe)
In 2021, I started a podcast interviewing a different woman each month asking her twenty questions. You can listen to the podcast here. As a thank you gift, I bought each woman a copy of this book. This is one of my favourite discoveries in this project, a wonderful anthology on the world’s languages/dialects that … Continue reading Fiji 🇫🇯: A Privileged Life Denied by Sarote Fotfiri Erasito (tr. Sarote Fotfiri Erasito) in Poems from the Edge of Extinction: An Anthology of Poetry in Endangered Languages (Ed. Chris McCabe)
Azerbaijan 🇦🇿: Days in the Caucasus by Banine, tr. by Anne Thompson-Ahmadova
In a Nutshell: Days in the Caucasus, originally published in Paris in 1945, is Banine’s memoir of her childhood in Baku, from when she was born (1905) until she left for Paris in 1923. It was translated into English in 2019. Parisian Days, the kind of sequel to Days in the Caucasus was published earlier … Continue reading Azerbaijan 🇦🇿: Days in the Caucasus by Banine, tr. by Anne Thompson-Ahmadova
Italy 🇮🇹: The Little Virtues by Natalia Ginzburg, tr. Dick Davis
Back in 2o19, I was living in Tanzania. The week before Christmas, my husband and I were visiting family and friends in the UK. On one of the final days of our trips, I went Christmas shopping, the final stop was in Daunt Books in Marylebone, London, I was just about to pay for my … Continue reading Italy 🇮🇹: The Little Virtues by Natalia Ginzburg, tr. Dick Davis
Georgia 🇬🇪: The Eighth Life (for Brilka) by Nino Haratischvili, tr. by Charlotte Collins and Ruth Martin
Observations: The Eighth Life (for Brilka) is the 2020 winner of the Warwick Prize for Women in Translation. For more about the prize, read here. I read this wonderful book whilst away on holiday with my husband, I was 3-4 months pregnant, we were on a road trip around Cambodia: visiting Chhlong/Kratie, Ratanakiri and Mondulkiri. This … Continue reading Georgia 🇬🇪: The Eighth Life (for Brilka) by Nino Haratischvili, tr. by Charlotte Collins and Ruth Martin
Vietnam 🇻🇳: Ru by Kim Thuy, tr. by Sheila Fischman
In a Nutshell: Translated from French (beautifully translated by Fischman, I may add), Thuy's fictionalised memoir, Ru is her debut novel. Born into a wealthy Vietnamese family during the Tet Offensive, the main character, as a girl, she flees Vietnam, she endures an arduous boat journey and a Malaysian refugee camp before arriving in Granby, … Continue reading Vietnam 🇻🇳: Ru by Kim Thuy, tr. by Sheila Fischman
Welcome to #WITMonth 2023
Hello! It is great to be back as a guest curator this year for #WomenInTranslation (WIT) month. A bit about me, my name is Jess Andoh-Thayre. I am from Brixton, South London. I currently live in Cambodia. Before living here in Cambodia, I lived in Tanzania with my husband, who is a diplomat. I have … Continue reading Welcome to #WITMonth 2023
#WorldKidLit Wednesday: Science for Smartypants series
The Science for Smartypants series of books introduces scientific phenomena, with a generous dose of humor on the side, to readers in the age group of 5 to 8 years. Each of the four titles in the series revolves around particular concepts, namely Gravity, Photosynthesis, Evolution, and the Solar System. Dominantly rendered in tones of … Continue reading #WorldKidLit Wednesday: Science for Smartypants series
#WorldKidLitWednesday: Meet Reviewer Karthika Gopalakrishnan
The #WorldKidLit review team here at GLLI is thrilled to welcome our newest contributor, Karthika Gopalakrishnan, to its ranks. Our regular readers may recognize Karthika from last year's celebration of World Kid Lit Month which she co-curated, focusing on #IndiaKidLit. Welcome, Karthika! Karthika is an educator, children's book writer and editor, and the director of … Continue reading #WorldKidLitWednesday: Meet Reviewer Karthika Gopalakrishnan
Global Literature in Libraries Initiative 