A spotlight on new translated fiction
The Third Love by Hiromi Kawakami, translated by Ted Goossen
Having married her childhood sweetheart, Riko now finds herself trapped in a relationship that has been soured by infidelity. One day she runs into an old friend who offers friendship, love and an unusual escape: he teaches her the trick of living inside her dreams. And so, each night, she sinks into another life.
As she experiences desire and heartbreak in the past, Riko comes to reconsider her 21st century life and whether, after loving her husband and loving Mr Takaoka, she is now ready for her third great love.
Overstaying by Ariane Koch, translated by Damion Searls & Jonathan Pelham
An isolated young woman living in a small Swiss town decides to take in a mysterious stranger, known only as ‘the visitor’. His arrival introduces disturbance into her carefully sealed life, and the longer he stays, the more confounding he becomes.
His joy causes her sadness, his sleep brings her insomnia, and she becomes convinced he is sneaking into her room, even eating her socks. As she tries to impose orders and regulations on her visitor, the woman’s fantasies of power and control grow ever wilder.
Woodworm by Layla Martínez, translated by Sophie Hughes & Annie McDermott
The house is visited by ghosts, by angels that line the roof like insects, and by saints that burn the bedsheets with their haloes. It was built by a small-time hustler as a means of controlling his wife, and even after so many years, their daughter and her granddaughter can’t leave.
They may be witches, or they may just be angry, but when the disappearance of a young boy draws unwanted attention, the two women combine forces with the spirits that haunt them in pursuit of something that resembles justice.
A Woman of Pleasure by Kiyoko Murata, translated by Juliet Winters Carpenter
It is 1903, and spirited teen Aoi Ichi is sold to the most exclusive brothel in Kumamoto becoming the protégée of Shinonome, the highest-ranking courtesan. Through Shinonome’s teachings, Ichi begins to understand the power of sex and money. Beyond the art of seduction, she is also taught to read and write and develops a voice that refuses to be stifled by the brothel’s rigid hierarchy.
A dazzling historical novel about the harsh yet vibrant lives of courtesans whose strike brought down a red-light district.
Brothers and Ghosts by Khuê Phạm, translated by Daryl Lindsey & Charles Hawley
Kieu calls herself Kim because it’s easier for Europeans to pronounce. She knows little about her Vietnamese family’s history until she receives a Facebook message from her estranged uncle in America, telling her that her grandmother is dying. Her father and uncle haven’t spoken since the end of the Vietnam War. When Kieu and her parents travel to America to join the rest of the family in California for the funeral, questions relating to their past resurface and demand to be addressed.
Spontaneous Acts by Yoko Tawada, translated by Susan Bernofsky
Patrik is a literary researcher living in Berlin, a city just coming back to life after lockdown. Though his beloved opera houses are open again, Patrik cannot leave the house and hardly manages to get out of bed. He is supposed to give a paper at a conference in Paris, on the poetry collection Threadsuns by Paul Celan, but he can't get past the first question on the registration form: 'What is your nationality?'
As Patrik attempts to find a connection in a world that constantly overwhelms him, he meets a mysterious stranger. The man's name is Leo-Eric Fu, and somehow he already knows Patrik.
Read our staff review here.
Hard Copy by Fien Veldman, translated by Hester Velmans
A customer service assistant spends her long workdays printing letters. Her one friend is the printer and, in the dark confines of her office, she begins to open up to him, talking about her fears, her past, her hopes and dreams. To her, it seems like a beautiful friendship is blossoming. To her boss, it seems like she's losing her mind.
Diagnosed with burnout and placed on leave, she faces severance and worse, separation from her beloved printer. But she's not about to give up on her only friend without a fight. And, it turns out, neither is he.
Read our staff review here.
