John Atanasoff – The Electronic Prometheus, by Blagovest Sendov: A Review by Thomas Hübner

Posted on by mytwostotinki

John Vincent Atanasoff (1903-1995) was an important American computer pioneer; his father was born in Bulgaria and came to the United States as a young boy. Due to his Bulgarian origin and some factors about which I will speak in this review, Atanasoff had a special relationship to the home country of his father, where … Continue reading John Atanasoff – The Electronic Prometheus, by Blagovest Sendov: A Review by Thomas Hübner

Albena Stambolova’s Everything Happens As It Does: A Review by Jean Ping

Posted on by mytwostotinki

Everything Happens As It Does, by Albena Stambolova Translated from the Bulgarian by Olga Nikolova Published in 2002, in English in 2013 by Open Letter Books, winner of 2013 Contemporary Bulgarian Writers Contest Everything Happens As It Does is something of a mosaic whose pieces, some not visibly related, eventually go to make up a … Continue reading Albena Stambolova’s Everything Happens As It Does: A Review by Jean Ping

Translators Association – 60 Years of Classic Translations: I am David (1965)

Posted on by Global Literature in Libraries Initiative

The #TA60 list of classics in translation celebrates the 60th anniversary of The Society of Authors Translators Association by acknowledging the translators who rewrote these great books so Anglophone readers could enjoy them. Please share, and remember: always #namethetranslator! I AM DAVID by Anne Holm was a landmark in 20th century children’s literature. Until it … Continue reading Translators Association – 60 Years of Classic Translations: I am David (1965)

Georgi Gospodinov’s Natural Novel: A Review by Scott Bailey

Posted on by mytwostotinki

Natural Novel, by Georgi Gospodinov (originally published in 1999, English translation 2005 by Zornitsa Hristova, Dalkey Archive Press) "People take pictures of each other just to prove that they really existed" Georgi Gospodinov's first novel begins not with the Kinks lyric quoted above (that shows up on page 55), but with an epigraph from Foucault … Continue reading Georgi Gospodinov’s Natural Novel: A Review by Scott Bailey

The Satire of Alek Popov: A Review by Ellis Shuman

Posted on by mytwostotinki

In the opening chapters of Mission London by Alek Popov (Istros Books, November 2014, translated by Daniella and Charles Gill de Mayol de Lupe), the staff of the Bulgaria’s UK Embassy awaits the arrival of the newly appointed ambassador. “They sat fidgeting ... beneath the map of Bulgaria, with its cold pink and yellow colouring. … Continue reading The Satire of Alek Popov: A Review by Ellis Shuman

Publisher Spotlight: MacLehose Press

Posted on by clscommunications

  “Was your book originally written in English? If so, we regret that we may not be the best publisher for you.” So begins the courteously-written online FAQS section of MacLehose Press, the English-language translation imprint of Quercus Books. This little publisher has good reason to remain direct, as they rarely accept original English-language works. Instead, … Continue reading Publisher Spotlight: MacLehose Press

Promoting Bulgarian literature in the Anglosphere: Interview with Milena Deleva, Managing Director of the Elizabeth Kostova Foundation

Posted on by mytwostotinki

The by far most important institution involved in promoting Bulgarian literature in the English-speaking world is the Elizabeth Kostova Foundation. I (TH) am extremely grateful to its Managing Director Milena Deleva (MD), for being so kind to agree to this interview despite her very busy schedule. TH: Milena, most readers know probably Elizabeth Kostova at … Continue reading Promoting Bulgarian literature in the Anglosphere: Interview with Milena Deleva, Managing Director of the Elizabeth Kostova Foundation

Bulgarian Literature Month – a short introduction

Posted on by mytwostotinki

It is already a tradition at the Global Literature in Libraries Initiative to organize a series of “Literature Months” devoted to the national literatures of countries and languages from all over the world. In this tradition, the month of June will see the “Bulgarian Literature Month” in which our readers will have the opportunity to … Continue reading Bulgarian Literature Month – a short introduction

Takami Nieda on Kaneshiro’s Zainichi Tour de Force “Go”

Posted on by David Jacobson

May GLLI Blog Series:  Japan in Translation, No. 29 Editor's note:  Though it took 18 years from publication in Japan until translation and publication in English, Kazuki Kaneshiro’s Go: A Coming of Age Novel, just released in March by AmazonCrossing, is already eliciting superlative reviews. Go's zainichi protagonist Sugihara is “one of the most memorable characters … Continue reading Takami Nieda on Kaneshiro’s Zainichi Tour de Force “Go”

The Vast Light Novel Universe — by translator Emily Balistrieri

Posted on by David Jacobson

May GLLI Blog Series:  Japan in Translation, No. 28 What’s the significance of the numbers 18, 49, 82, and 183? If you answered that those are the numbers of light novels published in English annually from 2014-2017, you’re right. But I have a sneaking suspicion you are more likely thinking, “Wait, a ‘light’ novel? What’s … Continue reading The Vast Light Novel Universe — by translator Emily Balistrieri