Korean writing in ... France
In The Korea Times Chung Ah-young reports that Korean author joins top French literary series, as some of Lee Seung-u's work -- quite a bit of which has been translated into French -- has now...
View ArticleFinlandia Prize for Fiction
They've announced the winner of the Finlandia-palkinto, with Riikka Pelo taking the prize for her Marina Tsvetaeva-novel, Jokapäiväinen elämämme ('Our everyday life'); see also the Books from...
View ArticleZündel's Exit review
The most recent addition to the complete review is my review of Markus Werner's 1984 novel, Zündel's Exit, now available in English from Dalkey Archive Press, in a translation by Michael...
View ArticleHelmerich Author Award
To my embarrassment, I was completely unfamiliar with the Peggy V. Helmerich Distinguished Author Award --: an annual award given by the Tulsa Library Trust. Its purpose is to give formal...
View ArticleNobel sales bump
A nice little study with some (though too few ...) hard numbers, as BookNet Canada and Nielsen Book analyzed Canadian and international sales data for Alice Munro's titles before and after her...
View Article'International bill of digital rights'
A stunning list of authors on board with this: some 560 authors from 83 nations, in a petition published in 32 newspapers across the world: see it at, for example, The Guardian: International...
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French fiction abroad
At BBC News Hugh Schofield has an interesting piece with lots of quotes from prominent French authors wondering Why don't French books sell abroad ? -- specifically, in the English-speaking...
View ArticleThe Butterfly - the radio play
James M. Cain's The Butterfly certainly isn't his best, and probably remains best-known now for that notorious film version (the Pia Zadora vehicle ... enough said), but BBC4 have been having a...
View ArticlePublication date for Colorless Tsukuru Tazaki
As noted at The Millions, the English translation of Murakami Haruki's 色彩を持たない多崎つくると、彼の巡礼の年, Colorless Tsukuru Tazaki and his Years of Pilgrimage (translated by Philip Gabriel) now has a US...
View ArticleWLT's 75 Notable Translations 2013
At 75 titles, World Literature Today's Notable Translations 2013-list is certainly ... generous. (Recall that the Three Percent Translation Database finds a total of only 419 works of fiction...
View ArticleThe Summer of Dead Toys review
The most recent addition to the complete review is my review of Antonio Hill's (except in his native Spain where he goes under the name 'Toni Hill') The Summer of Dead Toys. This is a...
View ArticleLiterature in ... Bulgaria
At Radio Bulgaria Milka Dimitorva reports that there are More than 200 exhibitors at Sofia International Book Fair, which runs through the 15th. Among the odd/interesting titbits: the...
View ArticleTranslation and context
A fascinating piece at Qantara.de by Stefan Weidner considers translations of classical Islamic literature (meaning actual Arabic and Persian literature, not religious-Islamic un-literature) in...
View ArticleNaguib Mahfouz Medal for Literature
As Mohammed Saad reports at aahram online, Syrian Writer Khaled Khalifa wins Naguib Mahfouz Medal for Literature, as his novel, لا سكاكين في مطابخ هذه المدينة, took this year's prize....
View ArticleThe Conductor review
The most recent addition to the complete review is my review of Jean Ferry's The Conductor and Other Tales, just out from Wakefield Press. The first full publication in English of this...
View ArticleP.D.James on 'the golden age of crime'
In The Spectator P.D.James remembers 'the gentlemanly world of Lord Peter Wimsey and Albert Campion' in writing about Who killed the golden age of crime ? (meaning, presumably 'the golden age...
View ArticleDany Laferrière elected to Académie française
Good to see there wasn't even much doubt about this one: Dany Laferrière was made an immortel, elected to take fauteuil 2 in the Académie française. He was elected handily, taking thirteen of...
View ArticleMan Booker Prize judging panel
The judging panel for the 2014 Man Booker Prize -- expanded from five to six judges (an even number, always dangerous for a decision-making body ...) -- has been announced. Three have...
View ArticleChinese literature in English
As I've noted in recent weeks, Chinese literature may get a decent amount of attention in the US/UK, but there's still a bit of a disconnect between that and actual success -- or even just...
View ArticleLaureate for Irish fiction
The (Irish) Arts Council has announced: that it has established a new award which will honour an outstanding Irish fiction writer, and encourage the next generation of Irish fiction writers....
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