Fiction in translation
2024 translated fiction highlights
By far and away our bestselling translated fiction for 2024 has been Asako Yuzuki's Butter, translated from Japanese by Polly Barton. In fact, as you'll notice below, Japanese fiction in general has been increasing in popularity from publishers and readers alike. You'll also find wonderful books translated from French, German, Italian, Spanish, Polish and Icelandic, rounding up a stellar year!
Butter by Asako Yuzuki, translated from Japanese by Polly Barton
Manako Kajii sits in Tokyo Detention Centre convicted of…
A spotlight on new translated fiction
This month we're reading fiction translated from Japanese, Korean, German, Chinese and Spanish.
The City and Its Uncertain Walls by Haruki Murakami (translated from Japanese by Philip Gabriel)
A novel about the porous boundary between the real and shadow worlds.
After losing his beloved as a teenager, the narrator finds his way to the Town, a mysterious place where he finds work as a Dream Reader in the library. Back in the real world as an adult he tries to…
A spotlight on new translated fiction
This month we're reading fiction translated from: Spanish, Italian, Swedish, French, Norwegian, Japanese, Polish and Korean.
The Last Dream by Pedro Almodovar (translated from Spanish by Frank Wynne)
The Last Dream brings together for the first time twelve unpublished stories from Almodovar's personal archive, written between the late sixties and the present day. Both a tantalising glimpse into Almodovar's creative mind and a masterclass in how to tell a story, this intimate and mischievous collection reflects Almodovar's obsessions and many…
Emporium recommends: translated fiction
The team at our Emporium shop is full of lovers of translated fiction. You can get great recommendations by visiting the shop and asking our lovely booksellers, but in the meantime here's a curated guide to some of the their favourite translated titles! With everything from heart-wrenching explorations of grief, to a cosy story about finding the perfect book at the library, to a classic crime series, there's something for every reader.
Baz recommends:
All Our Yesterdays by Natalia Ginzburg…
A spotlight on new translated fiction
This month we're reading fiction translated from: Japanese, Spanish, French, Korean, Taiwanese, Danish and Russian!
We'll Prescribe You a Cat by Syou Ishida (translated from Japanese by E. Madison Shimoda)
A cat a day keeps the doctor away . . .
On the top floor of an old building at the end of a cobbled alley in Kyoto lies the Kokoro Clinic for the Soul. Only a select few – those who feel genuine emotional pain – can find it…
National Book Awards Longlist - Part I
The first longlists for the 2024 National Book Awards have been announced! Discover the longlists for Translated Literature and Young People's Literature below.
Established in 1950, the National Book Awards is an American literary prize, administered by the National Book Foundation. Previous winners include American literary icons such as William Faulkner, Philip Roth, John Updike, Toni Morrison, Flannery O’Connor, Alice Walker, Jesmyn Ward, and Ta-Nehisi Coates.
Translated Literature Longlist
Woodworm by Layla Martínez, translated from Spanish by Sophie Hughes and…
A spotlight on new translated fiction
This month we're reading fiction translated from: Japanese, French & Italian!
Mina's Matchbox by Yoko Ogawa (translated from Japanese by Stephen Snyder)
After the death of her father, twelve-year-old Tomoko is sent to live for a year with her uncle in a coastal town. It is a year that will change her life. The 1970s are bringing changes to Japan and her uncle's colonial mansion opens up a new and unfamiliar world for Tomoko. Her growing friendship with her cousin…
Our top picks for Women in Translation Month
There's never a bad time to pick up one of these remarkable novels from women writers around the world. But since August is also Women in Translation Month, this is a particularly good time to seek out a writer you're not already familiar with.
Women in Translation Month was created in response to the dearth of women writers being translated into English. Ten years later, it's a growing movement to champion international writers and help readers discover books they might…
A beginner's guide to Russian literature
The monolith of classic Russian literature can be daunting and perhaps a tad depressing to look at, as under the wrong light it can seem grey and harsh. The stereotype of Russian literature may have a serious countenance to an outsider, but when you get to reading them, holding the books under the lamp of curiosity, you will find that these books do have a great sense of the absurd, a quotidian humour and a litany of unique characters.
You…
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…
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