In a Nutshell: Translated from the Italian and published by the independent publishing house, And Other Stories, there is a subtle musicality to this wonderful book. One of my favourites in a while. When Hana’s sick uncle calls her back from the capital to his home in the mountains of Northern Albania, he tries to … Continue reading Day 17: 🇦🇱 Sworn Virgin
Day 15: 🇨🇳 Half a Lifelong Romance
In a Nutshell: Half a Lifelong Romance is set in the 1930s, the only clue of when the book is set, is a reference towards the end of the book, to the Battle of Shanghai, which started in August 1937: “the battle of Shanghai began in mid-august and the fighting was intense for three months.” … Continue reading Day 15: 🇨🇳 Half a Lifelong Romance
Day 14: 🇯🇵Moshi Moshi
Moshi Moshi means hello in Japanese, can be used on the phone and in other contexts. Observations: In November 2017, we went on our honeymoon to Japan. Prior to flying there, I ordered a few books by a smattering of Japanese authors. Kitchen was one of them. Kitchen is probably Yoshimoto’s most famous work, however … Continue reading Day 14: 🇯🇵Moshi Moshi
Day 9: 🇲🇦 Sex and Lies
I first read this in French so the quotes below are in French, I have also included the quotes from the translation. In a Nutshell: Sexe et Mensonges (Sex and Lies) is about what it is to be a woman in Morocco today, this isn’t an academic study, but a series of interviews with mostly … Continue reading Day 9: 🇲🇦 Sex and Lies
Day 5: 🇫🇷 Mend the Living by Maylis de Kerangal, (tr.Jessica Moore)
Observations: There are two English translations of the novel, one for UK audiences (Mend the Living) and one for U.S. audiences (The Heart), which was published in the U.S. in 2017. The Wellcome Book prize rewards exceptional works of literature that illuminate the many ways that health, medicine and illness touch our lives. Mend the … Continue reading Day 5: 🇫🇷 Mend the Living by Maylis de Kerangal, (tr.Jessica Moore)
Day 4: 🇸🇻 Slash and Burn
In a Nutshell: Quite an intense reading experience. The book is written in the third person, yet at times it feels like it is almost in the first person. None of the characters are given names, and only one place, Paris, France, is referred to. It talks of the after-effects of El Salvador’s Civil War, … Continue reading Day 4: 🇸🇻 Slash and Burn
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
Introducing our #WITMonth guest editor, Jess Andoh-Thayre
Introducing our #WITMonth guest editor, Jess Andoh-Thayre My name is Jess Andoh-Thayre, 35, from London but currently living in Phnom Penh, Cambodia. I am a French, Spanish and English teacher, translator, avid reader and now blogger. I am really excited about this year's #WITMonth, although this year I won't be able to read as much as normal … Continue reading Introducing our #WITMonth guest editor, Jess Andoh-Thayre
#TranslatedLit Introduction to And Other Stories by Nicky Smalley
Here at And Other Stories we believe that great literature is great literature, wherever it comes from. Since starting out in 2011, we’ve built a varied list of great literature in translation and originally in English, both fiction and non-fiction (and even a little poetry). We started out at a time, after the financial crash, … Continue reading #TranslatedLit Introduction to And Other Stories by Nicky Smalley
#TranslatedLit An Introduction to Comma Press by Becca Parkinson
If you don’t know of Comma Press, allow me to introduce us: we're an independent, not-for-profit publisher based in Manchester, England, and we specialise in short stories and fiction in translation. Our aim is to publish new, exciting and often marginalised voices from around the world. We publish interdisciplinary collaborations between authors and translators, historians, … Continue reading #TranslatedLit An Introduction to Comma Press by Becca Parkinson
Global Literature in Libraries Initiative 