December Words without Borders
The December issue of Words without Borders focuses on 'Knowing the Unknowable: Writing from Madagascar' -- great to see, since it's little-seen -- as well as a look at: 'After Inger...
View ArticleTranslation numbers
At Three Percent Chad Post offers Translation Database Updates for 2014-2016 ! While the 2016 database is, of course, still very preliminary, the 2015 one should be close to the final...
View ArticleInside the Head of Bruno Schulz review
The most recent addition to the complete review is my review of German author Maxim Biller's novella, Inside the Head of Bruno Schulz -- which, in this lovely little Pushkin Press edition, also...
View ArticleDutch best book choices
NRC Handelsblad have selected what they think are the top twenty-four Dutch fiction titles of the year, and now are letting readers vote for their favorites. Interesting to see what the...
View ArticleNYTBR 10 Best Books of 2015
Less than a week after The New York Times Book Review announced its 100 Notable Books of 2015 they narrowed down the list to their 10 Best Books of 2015. Two of the ten titles are under...
View ArticleThe New Sorrows of Young W. review
The most recent addition to the complete review is my review of Ulrich Plenzdorf's The New Sorrows of Young W. -- a new translation (by Romy Fursland) just out from Pushkin Press. This...
View ArticleNaja Marie Aidt Q & A
Mieke Chew has a lengthy interesting Q & A at Bomb with Greenland-raised, Brooklyn-resident Rock, Paper, Scissors-author Naja Marie Aidt.
View ArticleJoseph Conrad Literary Award
The Joseph Conrad Literary Award, awarded biennially by the Polish Institute in Kyiv: "is given to a Ukrainian author for consistency in realization of the creative development, innovative...
View ArticleРусскийБукер
It's Russian prize season, with the Большой книги ('Big Book') prize to be announced next week. First up, though, is the Русский Букер ('Russian Booker'), which they've now announced, with...
View ArticleWriting in English, in India
At Scroll.in Amitabha Bagchi wonders Why does Indian writing in English still have to defend itself against charges of siding with oppressors ? -- and since he has to ask it's apparently still...
View ArticleWilliam McIlvanney (1936-2015)
Scottish author William McIlvanney has passed away; see, for example: William McIlvanney obituary by James Campbell, in The Guardian William McIlvanney: Godfather of Tartan Noir dies aged 79 by...
View ArticleThe Truth and Other Lies review
The most recent addition to the complete review is my review of Sascha Arango's thriller, The Truth and Other Lies. I vaguely recall seeing some reviews of this when it came out, but I...
View ArticleFiction v./& non
In The Observer a variety of writers consider and debate fiction versus/and non, in 'Based on a true story': the fine line between fact and fiction. Longtime readers -- hell, anyone who...
View ArticleAmazonCrossing saves the (translation) day ?
I recently mentioned the depressing totals Chad Post reported last week on the Translation Databases he collects at Three Percent (of new translations of fiction and poetry...
View ArticleAlexievich's Nobel lecture
It's Nobel week, with all the prize ceremonies and the fancy banquet and everything else -- including the Nobel lectures. Literature laureate Voices from Chernobyl-author Svetlana...
View ArticleThe Story of My Teeth review
The most recent addition to the complete review is my review of Valeria Luiselli's recent The Story of My Teeth.
View Article'100 greatest British novels'
At the BBC they polled book critics outside the UK -- "82 book critics, from Australia to Zimbabwe" -- to see what outsiders consider The 100 greatest British novels. (Apparently however only...
View ArticleAlexievich's Nobel lecture
Svetlana Alexievich delivered her Nobel lecture, On the Battle Lost, yesterday and the text is now available online -- in Jamey Gambrell's English translation, as well as in the original...
View ArticleAt the Writing Desk review
The most recent addition to the complete review is my review of Werner Kofler's Bernhardian Alpine Saga / Travelogue / Acts of Vengeance, his 1988 novel At the Writing Desk, now in English from...
View ArticleImpending literary-fiction crisis in India ?
At Scroll.in Arunava Sinha worries that in India: 'Publishers are not putting out enough 'good' books to ensure variety on literary award shortlists', in The DSC Prize shortlist points to an...
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