International Publisher Spotlight: Rubinstein (The Netherlands)

Posted on by Rachel Hildebrandt

From the Rubinstein website: For over 30 years Rubinstein has been working with love and attention, expertise and craftsmanship on beautiful, often book related products. Rubinstein was founded in 1985 by Maurits Rubinstein as a publisher of audiobooks. A large number of audiobooks and music productions are still recorded and mastered in our own studio … Continue reading International Publisher Spotlight: Rubinstein (The Netherlands)

Minority Languages Translated Book Pick: Graveyard Clay by Máirtín Ó Cadhain (Irish)

Posted on by Rachel Hildebrandt

A brilliant new translation of Ó Cadhain’s modern Irish literature masterpiece, meant to spark debate and comparison with Alan Titley's Dirty Dust, now with bonus materials on its history, reception, interpretations, adaptations, and more In critical opinion and popular polls, Máirtín Ó Cadhain’s Graveyard Clay is invariably ranked the most important prose work in modern … Continue reading Minority Languages Translated Book Pick: Graveyard Clay by Máirtín Ó Cadhain (Irish)

World Languages Title Pick: Mejor la ausencia by Edurne Portela (Spain)

Posted on by Rachel Hildebrandt

Synopsis The novel is set in a town on the industrial outskirts of Bilbao during the 1980s, marked by heroin, unemployment and industrial decline, where the police fight running street battles with local youths, and the walls are covered with threatening slogans. Its narrator, Amaia, is a young child at the start, and progresses through … Continue reading World Languages Title Pick: Mejor la ausencia by Edurne Portela (Spain)

International Banned Book Pick: The Palace of Dreams by Ismail Kadare (Albania)

Posted on by Rachel Hildebrandt

PLOT: The mysterious palace of dreams stands at the heart of a vast empire. Inside, workers sift, sort, and interpret the dreams the empire’s citizens. They search out Master-Dreams that will provide clues to the destiny of the empire and its Sultan. Mark-Alem, scion of a noble family that has provided viziers to the Sultan … Continue reading International Banned Book Pick: The Palace of Dreams by Ismail Kadare (Albania)

Minority Languages Translated Book Pick: Twist by Harkaitz Cano (Basque)

Posted on by Rachel Hildebrandt

Set in the politically charged climate of the Basque Country in the 1980s, Twist relates the disappearance and brutal murder of two ETA militants at the hands of the Spanish army. The novel centers on their friend and fellow activist Diego Lazkano, who, since revealing his comrades to the authorities, has been tormented by guilt. … Continue reading Minority Languages Translated Book Pick: Twist by Harkaitz Cano (Basque)

World Languages Title Pick: Flaetscher – Die Sache Stinkt! by Antje Szillat (Germany)

Posted on by Rachel Hildebrandt

This is the first post in a new series of title picks for libraries building world languages collections. We will provide links to the foreign rights pages to publishers around the world. The descriptions for these non-translations will be in English and will include, when possible, sample translations, which will give you a flavor of … Continue reading World Languages Title Pick: Flaetscher – Die Sache Stinkt! by Antje Szillat (Germany)

International Banned Book: The Fugitive by Pramoedya Ananta Toer (Indonesia)

Posted on by Rachel Hildebrandt

Plot:  In the twilight days of Japanese power in his country, an Indonesian army officer sparks an insurrection against the occupation army but is forced to flee into the jungle when he is betrayed by one of his own comrades. Challenge: Banned in Indonesia in 1950, for containing "subversive" material, including an attempt to promote Marxist–Leninist … Continue reading International Banned Book: The Fugitive by Pramoedya Ananta Toer (Indonesia)

International Banned Book: No Man’s Land by Duong Thu Huong

Posted on by Rachel Hildebrandt

I hadn’t read a literary work with such care for the characters and a narrative that weaves humanity’s impulses, tendencies, strengths, and weaknesses with everyday forces of nature. Mien, Hoan, Bon, Xa, and the communities in which they reside are written richly and compellingly. Their often unpredictable actions build layers of smoke, and their relationships … Continue reading International Banned Book: No Man’s Land by Duong Thu Huong

International Banned Book Review: Candy by Mian Mian

Posted on by Rachel Hildebrandt

Andrea Lingenfelter’s translation of Mian Mian’s Candy is like reading Kathy Acker—it’s disgusting but also accessible in the sense that it’s like reading the work of a rock star. It’s unwilling to be understood, but the questions it poses about conformity and overindulgence makes for a rewarding read. Hong, the protagonist, narrates her story with … Continue reading International Banned Book Review: Candy by Mian Mian

Publisher Spotlight: Arsenal Pulp Press

Posted on by Rachel Hildebrandt

Award-winning publisher Arsenal Pulp Press has a reputation for championing quality international literature, and it only takes a scan of their forthcoming titles to prove this reputation to be well-earned. Founded in 1971, the Vancouver-based indie has consistently produced gorgeous books from diverse viewpoints, with special attention paid to underrepresented communities. Translated titles, such as … Continue reading Publisher Spotlight: Arsenal Pulp Press