Written by Frances Sims-Williams a.k.a. an excuse to talk about some of my favourite translated books, a.k.a. self-indulgence in its most extreme form. But seriously, I love translated fiction: there’s nothing quite like it for broadening horizons & creating windows into other cultures. & it’s definitely had a boom in popularity in the last few … Continue reading #INTYALITMONTH: Overly-Specific Book Recommendations: YA in Translation Edition
#INTYALITMONTH: London on My Mind
Written by Frances Sims-Williams London on My Mind -- by Clara Alves Originally published in 2022 as Romance Real; translated from Brazilian Portuguese to English by Nina Perotta in 2024. After her mother’s sudden death, sixteen-year-old Dayana leaves Rio de Janeiro for London, a place she’s always longed to go to… but not like this! … Continue reading #INTYALITMONTH: London on My Mind
#WorldKidLit Wednesday: João by a Thread
Dreams can be filled with vibrant adventure and fraught with fear. But often they dissipate when we wake, without leaving a trace. In his picture book João by a Thread, renowned author/illustrator Roger Mello captures the world of nightmares and dreams and commits it to memory in written and illustrated form. The book opens with … Continue reading #WorldKidLit Wednesday: João by a Thread
#WorldKidLit Wednesday: War
War is stealthy and secretive, slithering snake-like through the countryside. War is monstrous: an army of giant insects marching towards their target. This picture book, aimed at readers ages 9-12, packs a powerful punch from the opening pages. Striking illustrations in somber tones and sparse text help guide the reader’s exploration of this complex subject. … Continue reading #WorldKidLit Wednesday: War
#WorldKidLit Wednesday: Where We Go From Here
As someone who grew up during the 80s and 90s, I have several memories of the earlier years of the AIDS epidemic. I still remember the news reports of gay men dying in large numbers, and learning about how HIV is spread—and how it is not. I also remember the death of Freddie Mercury (right … Continue reading #WorldKidLit Wednesday: Where We Go From Here
Day 3: 🇵🇹 Now and at the Hour of Our Death
And Other Stories is a small publishing house, publishing indie books translated into English. I decided to become a subscriber in 2019 and I also ordered a women-in-translation bundle. The women-in-translation bundle consisted of three books, one of them is Now and At the Hour of Our Death. This is a wonderful, life-affirming book. In … Continue reading Day 3: 🇵🇹 Now and at the Hour of Our Death
Speculative Fiction in Translation: Solarpunk
Solarpunk: Ecological and Fantastical Stories in a Sustainable World, edited by Gerson Lodi-Ribeiro translated from the Portuguese by Fábio Fernandes World Weaver Press August 7, 2018 286 pages Contents: “Soylent Green is People!” by Carlos Orsi“When Kingdoms Collide” by Telmo Marçal“Breaking News!” by Romeu Martins“Once Upon a Time in a World” by Antonio Luiz M. … Continue reading Speculative Fiction in Translation: Solarpunk
#WorldKidLitWednesday: Follow the Firefly/Run Rabbit Run
In this review, I’m revisiting a family favorite. Follow the Firefly/Run Rabbit Run! is a wordless picture book aimed at readers ages 2 and up that can be read in both directions. First, the reader follows a firefly’s search for a flashing light, reading from left to right towards the back cover. Then, a rabbit runs … Continue reading #WorldKidLitWednesday: Follow the Firefly/Run Rabbit Run
To Be Translated: BelHell by Edyr Augusto Proença (Brazil)
Sure. Walking down Presidente Vargas Avenue, the city’s main shopping street, taking a left into Ô de Almeida and then a right onto the First of May, as the author does in the first chapter of BelHell does not seem a very attractive opening, now does it? Damn, you don’t know anything about this city, … Continue reading To Be Translated: BelHell by Edyr Augusto Proença (Brazil)
#WorldKidLitWednesday: Along the Tapajós
How about traveling somewhere exciting and new from the comfort and safety of your home? Picture books are a wonderful way for readers of all ages to experience different places, cultures, people and stories. And Along the Tapajós certainly fits the bill. Written and illustrated by Fernando Vilela and translated from the Portuguese by Daniel … Continue reading #WorldKidLitWednesday: Along the Tapajós
Global Literature in Libraries Initiative 