Literature of Exile: Nâzım Hikmet and Human Landscapes from My Country

Posted on by crankylibrarian

Starting where so many journeys have begun or ended, at the iconic Haydarpaşa railway station on Istanbul’s waterfront, Nâzım Hikmet’s Human Landscapes from My Country paints a kaleidoscopic portrait of Turkey in the WWII era. Following first the 3:45 p.m. train with its motley cast of third-class passengers and then the 7 p.m. express, carrying … Continue reading Literature of Exile: Nâzım Hikmet and Human Landscapes from My Country

Literature of Exile: Hamid Ismailov and Exile as Folktale

Posted on by crankylibrarian

“It is boundlessly difficult to be a stranger. Your usual ways of behaving bear no fruit: if your habits are not fit for purpose, you might as well be a wheel off its axle, alone over and over again.” “I am a stranger at home, and I am nobody abroad.” A common trope in folklore … Continue reading Literature of Exile: Hamid Ismailov and Exile as Folktale

#WorldKidLitWednesday: Brown

Posted on by Nanette McGuinness

In Brown, a spare, quirky, satisfying book for middle grade readers, we meet Rusty, aka superhero Brown, at a rocky time in his life. His grandfather dies soon after his family moves to be nearby. A group of three bullies—including the minister’s son—destroy the fort that Rusty and his friend Jack have been building.  Rusty … Continue reading #WorldKidLitWednesday: Brown

Literature of Exile: The Rohingya #ExileLit

Posted on by crankylibrarian

Hello again! Many of the authors we will read about this month were exiled in isolation, for their individual acts of dissent or rebellion. Yet there are stories of entire communities exiled and driven from their homelands. One such expulsion that has captured world attention in recent years is that of the Rohingya. Although they … Continue reading Literature of Exile: The Rohingya #ExileLit

#TranslatedLit The Unexplored Island of Literary Lithuania by Stephan Collishaw

Posted on by Ronan Hession

The world of books is dominated by the five giants of publishing. Whether we like it or not, these are the continents that define the literary globe. (Noir Press Founder Stephan Collishaw) But sometimes it’s good to go exploring and find something new. Something different. Little islands, overgrown and unknown, where you have to hack … Continue reading #TranslatedLit The Unexplored Island of Literary Lithuania by Stephan Collishaw

#WorldKidLitWednesday: The Sages of Chelm and the Moon

Posted on by Nanette McGuinness

There was once a town filled with people so wise that a body of Jewish folklore developed around their wisdom. Except, of course, they weren’t wise at all. Indeed, they were absolutely, thigh-slappingly, heart-stoppingly foolish—which is where much of the fun lies in the Chelm stories.* In The Sages of Chelm and the Moon**, Shlomo … Continue reading #WorldKidLitWednesday: The Sages of Chelm and the Moon

#TranslatedLit Orenda Books: Not Just Nordic Noir by Karen Sullivan (Publisher)

Posted on by Ronan Hession

A cornucopia of literary delights awaits you at Orenda Books! Alongside our English authors from South Africa, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, Pakistan, the USA, Wales, Scotland and England, we have breathtakingly original, beautifully written translated offerings from Iceland, Finland, Germany, Norway and France, with more countries lined up for coming years. From Finland, we have … Continue reading #TranslatedLit Orenda Books: Not Just Nordic Noir by Karen Sullivan (Publisher)

#TranslatedLit Istros Books: Making the Local Global by Susan Curtis

Posted on by Ronan Hession

At the Abu Dhabi Book Fair a few years back, I was asked to give a presentation on publishing translated literature. Knowing that for publishers who publish for the entire Arabic speaking world, or indeed the entire English-speaking world, a publisher that focuses on the ‘small’ languages of the Balkans would seem to have an … Continue reading #TranslatedLit Istros Books: Making the Local Global by Susan Curtis

#TranslatedLit Istros Books: Publishing the Balkans in English by Susan Curtis

Posted on by Ronan Hession

(Or How – and Why - Does one end up ‘At the Rock face of Niche’?) Having lived and worked in the region (Slovenia, Croatia, Romania) over many years, I became aware of all the writers - both contemporary and from the immediate past - which were revered at home but unknown in the English-speaking … Continue reading #TranslatedLit Istros Books: Publishing the Balkans in English by Susan Curtis

#WorldKidLitWednesday: Maresi: Red Mantle

Posted on by Nanette McGuinness

An epistolary novel. A beautiful story with a strong female protagonist. The stand-alone conclusion to a trilogy. Maresi: Red Mantle by Maria Turtschaninoff is all of these. It’s also the co-winner of the 2020 GLLI Translated YA Book Prize—and deservedly so, as it’s a fabulous read. Set in an agrarian, mostly pre-literate, fantasy world, Red … Continue reading #WorldKidLitWednesday: Maresi: Red Mantle