My cousin Egidijus Lisauskas put his hand on the book, hesitated for a moment, and then pulled it off the shelf and put it into my hands. It was 1997, we were standing in a bookstore in Vilnius, and I had asked for something to read to improve my Lithuanian, explaining that all I could … Continue reading The Translator’s Choice by Translator Elizabeth Novickas
This week we’ll be looking at Parthian Books, an independent publisher that operates from Swansea, Wales within the United Kingdom. Parthian began twenty five years ago as the brainchild of Richard Lewis Davies and Gill Griffiths (initially to publish Davies’ book Work, Sex and Rugby) and has since developed into a leading Welsh publisher. While … Continue reading Publisher Spotlight: Parthian Books
As I was doing research for this month of Baltic appreciation by talking to people in the industry and looking at publishers there was a particular line that caught my eye in regards to The Emma Press’ story. They mentioned that much of their exploration into the area of Baltic literature (they have published and … Continue reading Highlighting Endowment Programs in the Baltic States
The Emma Press is an award-winning press based out of Birmingham in the United Kingdom. Founded in 2012 by the eponymous Emma Wright, this publisher focuses on titles directed at children, while at the same time seeking to break down barriers and offer perspectives that are underrepresented (whether due to race or ideology). Though … Continue reading Publisher Spotlight: The Emma Press
What first drew you to Lithuanian stories? I first went to Lithuania in 1995, just four years after it had established its independence from the Soviet Union. Despite the many problems the country faced, it was a wonderful place to be. Vilnius was a beautiful, old city and to walk its streets was to … Continue reading Q&A with Author and Noir Press Founder Stephan Collishaw
Estonian literature is an enigma. Not Churchill’s Russian riddle wrapped in a mystery inside an enigma – no, the abyss between the Russian and Estonian cultures and languages is vast despite their geographic proximity, the former being Indo-European and the latter Finno-Ugric in essence. Rather, the culture – and the language – of Estonia is … Continue reading The Enigma of Estonian Literature: Title Picks by Translator Adam Cullen
Taken from the universal Slavic word for flame, Plamen Press is dedicated to showcasing the literary talents of Central, Eastern, and Southeastern Europe that have long been obscured from the English-speaking world. From brilliant, illuminating poetry to recent works and venerable classics, Plamen seeks to use recent advancements in publishing to shed a light on … Continue reading Publisher Spotlight: Plamen Press
Filip Florian’s debut novel Little Fingers is a winding tale centered around the discovery of a mass grave in Romania, and the scramble of political agendas, deaths, and amusing vignettes surrounding it. It won the Best Debut Novel from the Romanian Writers’ Union after its publication in 2005. Alistair Ian Blyth’s extremely faithful translation from … Continue reading The Twisting Passages of Filip Florian’s “Little Fingers”
Reviewed by Professor Mahmoud Zain al-Abidin Two years ago, The Battle for Home : Memoir of a Syrian Architect was released in the English language by Thames & Hudson publishers in London. The writer, Syrian architect Marwa al-Sabouni, shared in her book illustrations for the architectural buildings in her city, Homs, the third largest city … Continue reading The Battle for Home: The Memoir of a Syrian Architect
The Library of Arabic Literature is published by NYU University and is dedicated to bringing the classics of the Arabic world to English-speaking audiences all around the world. Focusing on titles from the seventeenth to nineteenth centuries, the idea behind the Library of Arabic Literature is to showcase clear translations from a wide range of … Continue reading Publisher Spotlight: The Library of Arabic Literature (NYU Press)
Global Literature in Libraries Initiative 