I got Picked for WBN 2012 WHOOP WHOOP
20 Feb 2012 14 Comments
in #translationthurs, thoughts Tags: 2012, world book night
I didn’t enter world book night last year I’m a quiet person on the whole and was rather nervous at the prospect of handing books out but this years after trying to get beside the sea in top100 and nearly doing it .I want to pass on my passion for translation so when two made the final twenty five I choose Let the right one in by John Ajvide Lidqvist Swedish vampire story which I had read and Enjoyed and is translated .I also have now brought the Swedish film for Amanda so we can watch it together I hope to give the book to people I work with .I m so happy I was chosen and for a book from one of my favourite publisher as well Quercus .I look forward to passing my love on to people and handing my copies out to everyone .
Winstonsdad books of year
22 Dec 2011 28 Comments
in #translationthurs, A LIFE IN BOOKS, TRANSLATIONS, Uncategorized Tags: 2011, TRANSLATIONS
Well I have spent a long time thinking of this year’s best books and finally got down to ten books which I must admit two of which Ive not reviewed on blog yet,so here we go in no particular order -
Down the rabbit hole by Juan Pablo Viilalobos - A young Mexican boy wants a pygmy Hippo and his dad is a Mexican drug baron,so he might just get it . This book is a glimpse of another world that of the drug cartels . A wonderfully crafted novella from a new publisher .
Tomorrow Pamplona by Jan Van Mersbergen – I still amazed at Laura’s translation of this book how well she kept the maleness of the voices so well and I love the story of men at a crossroads in their life .As they head to the annual Bull running in spain .
Parallel stories by Peter Nadas Is maybe one of the true epic books of the 21st century ,ok it has a lot of sex but also you feel the dirt and grim of everyday communist life in eastern europe through the eyes of his characters within its covers .
Phantoms of Breslau by Marek Krajewski A dark atmospheric crime novel set in post world war Poland ,I love his use of language and the way he brings Breslau to life .The best crime novel I ve read this year.
Beauty and the Inferno by Roberto Saviano This book typifies non fiction at it best from a writer that is fearless these pieces range from the trivial stories of footballers to the deadly serious with pieces on the environment , all written in Saviano’s wonderful prose style
Kamchatka by Marcel Figueras -This is my favourite south american book this year in what has been a good year for Argentina fiction ,a little boy on the run with his parents in the seventies that dark time in Argentina and the best of a number of books about this time that came out this year .
Khirbet Kizah by S Yizhar is the first of his two masterpieces to reach us English his epic follow-up to this due out sometime in the next few years ,this book follows a battle in a small Palestine village from the view of the Israeli soldiers doing the mission.
I was born there ,I was born here by Mourid Barghouti yet again his poetic prose bring his homeland to life ,not with angry voices but with quiet words showing the everyday to him that seems outrageous to us .A must read for anyone that wants to know the Palestine side of the conflict
Glorious Nemesis by Laidslav Kilma another gem turned up by the wonderful twisted spoon this follows a man haunted by an old women he saw briefly and its driven him mad and to poverty.
New finnish grammar by Diego A book about language , memory ,learning who you are .This by a man who is found and assumed to be finnish by the contents of his bag .I was told about this at the Iffp by the Nick Lezard of the guardian and finally read it last week this maybe just nudges book of the year.If push comes to shove .
So that is that all of my books of the year are translations ,it what has been a great year for translations .
What was your translation of the year ?
If your on twitter hashtag it with #translationthurs for all I will rt them all .
World book night top 100 lets make it a fresh list !!!
04 Aug 2011 25 Comments
in #translationthurs, A LIFE IN BOOKS, around the world, book awards, book news, questions, reading challenge, thoughts, world book night Tags: 2011, 2012, musings, NEW VOICES, TRANSLATIONS, world book night
Beside the sea world book night
This years world book night giveaways are to be decided by us the public by choosing our top ten books .I looked at the current top 100 and have to agree with Meike from Peirene it is a bit bland and from the perspective of winstonsdad the translation choices which there are at this moment ten book are what I would call the ones people think they should read or put in a list even if they’ve not read to look good (sorry needs to be said) .I love Murakami and Marquez but some diffeernt book here would be great open peoples eyes.Well Meike has suggest if we could all choose Beside the sea by Veronique Olmi it is a lovely french gem and is one of my all time favourite reads any way ,at moment 35 votes will get it in the top 100 I ve vote so 34 would do it come on lets help the nymph and the lovely ladies of Peirene make the list ,all of us bloggers and tweeters know how much effort this publisher puts into social media and interaction with its readers more than any major publisher does .So put your hand up and say yes I want the small guy to win for once because we all love the underdogs in this country lets for once get them there ,Meike has written a blog post about this too here ,thanks stu .I will be put up for giving away this time as I was too shy to volunteer last year .
My top ten -
Beside the sea by Veronique Olmi – reason a french gem touching and it will make you gasp if you’ve not read it !
Rings of saturn by W G Sebald reason started my love of translation and it is a book that can be reread and still make you think .
Don Quixote by Miguel Cervantes – reason the first novel it has all in it that has followed since a true master piece .
Ficciones by Jorge Luis Borges reason he was a genius flash fiction avant grade fiction all look at this as a starting point
If on a winters night a traveller by Italo Calvino reason I love it and I know many people hate it but who can’t love a book that talks to you ?
My century by Gunter grass - reason short interlocking pieces covering the 20thcentury from the German master not his best but it is a good insight into Germany .
Cities of red night by William S Burroughs - reason he was a one off writer this book has all a young guy could want from a book and men shou,ld read more !
The last brother by Nathacha Appananah – reason a unheard corner of post ww2 history jewish refugees stuck on a tropical island told touchingly through two young boys tale .
Goodbye to all that by Robert Graves – reason my favourite memoir war is bad and read this you know it is ,a poets eye goes to war .
Walden by Henry David Thoreau – reason if more people had read this would the world be the way it is the simple life as he spent time in nature thinking whilst living in a wooden hut .
What are your choices ?
Down the rabbit hole by Juan Pablo Villalobos or (dad I want a pygmy hippo)
03 Aug 2011 10 Comments
in #translationthurs, Mexico Tags: 2011, book prize, latin american fiction, mexican fiction, NEW BOOKS, NEW VOICES, TRANSLATIONS, twitter
Down the rabbit hole by Juan Pablo Villalobos
Source – review copy from &other stories
Translator – Rosalind Harvey
Juan Pablo Villalobos is a Mexican writer ,the studied marketing and spanish literature ,he has an interested in the avant grade having written about Cesar Aira ,he currently lives in Barcelona in Spain .This is his Debut novel and has already been translated into 8 languages since it came out last year ,including this English Translation ,that marks the start of a new Press in translation” and other stories ” .They’ll be so happy this was also the first book named on Guardians first book 2011 long list .
So what is this book about well ,dear me I gave a bit away in the title this about Tochtli a child ,well may I say this child is in some ways a normal child wanting thing he can’t have and telling us about his family ,cute you ‘re thing ,well er no cause Tochtli (this means rabbit in mexico main native language ) is the son of a notorious Mexican drugs baron and is well how do I put a little different to normal kids his age he has the real swords and a real guillotine his house is full of the underworld characters hit men ,prostitutes and dodgy politicians so when he turns round one day and says he wants a Liberian Pygmy hippopotamus for his collection of animals ,the people round his father’s luruxy hideout start finding a way to do this ,do they succeed well the best way to find out is to rush to the book shop and buy this thrilling ride of a book .
Today Paul Smith ,who hasn’t been to our place for a really long time ,about three months,came round .I found out I actually know fifteen people and not fourteen or fifteen .The thing is I wasn’t sure if Paul smith was still a person or if by now he was a corpse .I had my doubts because of one of Yolcaut’s enigmatic phrases,which he had said when asked once why Paul Smith didn’t come round any more .
“if he’s smart he’ll come back ,if he’s an asshole he won’t “
You have to give a dark laugh as this is how Tochtli sees the world .
So this book is short seventy pages but hell it packs a punch in those seventy pages .We enter Villalobos dark comic world ,this is black comedy at it’s best Tochtli is a perfect glimpse into the surreal world of the Mexican drug barons as we see his day-to-day life we catch a little glimpse of what is happening in his fathers world and maybe why there at the hideaway at this time as he father tries to step up in his world .Tochtli rabbit hole is a place you wouldn’t want a kid to be but it is his rabbit hole and if he wants something no matter how odd it seems because of his rabbit hole being what it is he may just get it in the end .So I commend And other stories on a great first choice for the press ,these books were chosen as a result of reading groups with people reading books in the original spanish .I first came across via a e-mail to me fro Stefan from and other ,so have mention them before for their reading groups here .the translation is crisp and also a nice glossary of some words used in the text at the end which is handy .&other stories allow you to subscribe and via this you can have your name in the future book s
Have you a book you heard of that you think should be translated ?
Would you read a book in another language to decide if its right for english translation ?
Translationthurs for 23 June
24 Jun 2011 16 Comments
in #translationthurs Tags: 2011, TRANSLATIONS
Parrish Lantern - is busy reading the post war Japanese potery collection for Jlc 5 ,the challenge to read Japanese literature hosted by Dolce Belleza ,the collection is translated by Harry and Lynne guset ,Have keep eye out for a review from Parrish .
I will tweet ,from the Blog Just Williams luck ,suggest Sjon The mouth of the whale ,His new novel in English from Saqi books ,set in 1600′s in Iceland read Wills review
Mcaclehose Press link to their writer Cees Nootebom reading from his new wonderful collection the foxes come at night ,I ve read and will be reviewing it shortly a timely collection with a reflection on life and death as the theme to the stories.Lizzy siddall suggest this as well here review of it is here
Oxford world classics suggested their book repetition and philosopher crumbs by Kierkegaard a collection of two works showing his philosophy the say from the best Danish version
Karyn at a penguin a week Choose a Penguin surprise surprise she has a wonderful collection a Georges Simenon The widow,from the Belgian writer I found three of his recently ,his estate don’t know how many books he wrote as he used a few alias in his time .This has also been reissued by NYRB it is the tale of a widow and a killer Gide consider it better than the stranger by Camus at time it was published ,exploring the space between death and desire
Expatina said you should read the wonderful german writer Daniel Kehlmann his last novel was fame .
Bookworm 1979 suggested Teresa Solano not so perfect crime ,from Bitter lemon press ,set in Barcelona a noirish crime novel
the wonderful Meike at Peirene picked Sjon’s other book the blue fox ,A bloggers favourite ,I ve yet to read it
Kinna from Kinna reads ,is looking forward to a new Peter Nadas novel soon to be in english and his older book the book of Memories a book in the form of three narratives complex but very worth reading from the Hungarian writer .
Jen and the Pen suggested After midnight by Imgard Keun a Anthea bell translation ,the pre war classic by this German writer that caught the interwar years in Germany ,her books were banned by the Nazis and she had to live in exile during the war .
Arablit picked Abduction by Anouar Benmaleks ,a thriller set in Algeria a book with a lot of violence and sadness it seems
Rebecca books who works for Harvil secker has set a face book page or the novel in the sea there are crocodiles ,a true story of a boys five-year Journey from Afghanistan to Italy where he found safety at last a ,heart warm tale of freedom it seems .
Last Tony from Tony’s reading list is reading F C Delius a portrait of a young women in the original german the 130 page sentence look forward to his review see what he thought I loved Jamie Baluch translation .
Jamie Baluch tweeted he is translating Alissa Wasler ‘s Am anfang war die nacht musik , in the beginning was the night of music roughly ,it is about a relationship breaking up in 18th century Vienna ,not sure who is publishing it .
#translationthurs for June the 9 th
10 Jun 2011 13 Comments
in #translationthurs Tags: 2011
Here are the book people mentioned on twitter for the #transaltionthurs meme .
The darkroom of Damocles by W F Herman – this is a dutch classic ,set during the second world war follows a tobacconist as he may be helped the Nazis in occupied holland this book was translated by Ina Rilke in 2007 and was suggested by Marcel from Lizzie siddal blog link to her review see mention it as Iris of Iris on books is running a dutch lit month .
Mercedes-Benz by Pawel Huelle ,a Polish book a response to a lost Mitteleuropa ,Michael from complete review says about this book ,suggest by Simon of inside books who was reading on the train yesterday .
Ceasarian by Tommy Wieringa another Dutch book this follows a mother and soon over a number of years and different places it is about mother son relationships ,I read it and will review some point this month .This was suggested by Gary from Parrish Lantern.also another book for Iris dutch month
two suggestions from Rob both books by the well-known Italian writer Niccolo Ammanati ,he suggest The crossroad and I m not scared .,this was seconded by Lizzie siddal as well ,I ve not read him but think his books are meant to be deep and meaningful ,I m not scared was made into a film in Italy ,follows some kids over the summer,a bit like a lord of the flies in italy .
No ones loves a policeman by Guillermo Orsi ,Crime novel ,a bit political and a little like a road movie ,it is set in 2001 ,as violent erupts in Argentina ,suggest by Matt G Craig from reader dad blog .
The last pope by Luis Miguel Rocha – a Portuguese novel ,I have this in my tbr pile it looks a bit like an upmarket dan brown a shadowy group and a dead pope an interesting book involving the masons ,suggest by Kuukookers
both Mcmucca and Tony Malone are reading books in other languages Mcmucca reading A nick Hornby novel in Italian and Tony is reading F C Delius portrait as a young mother as published by Peirene in the original german .You have check tony’s blog he reads a lot books in the original languages .
Jorge Luis Borges A writer on the edge by Beatrix Sarlo a book about the great Argentina writer published by Verso books suggested by Stefan form And other stories the new publisher in translation
Death in August by Marco Vichi ,the first in the inspector Bordelli series ,set in 1960′s italy it has a nostalgia feel the amazon review says to it suggest by Francesca best
Coming to writing and other essays by Helene Cixous six essays about the sexes among other things translated from french ,suggested by Peirene press
The tunnel by Ernesto Sabato ,this is a dark novel by the Argentina writer that died recently ,I was kindly sent a copy by Gaskell after she reviewed it ,suggest by bookworm 1979 .
And other stories suggest you looks at their first collection of books here is a link I know Stuart Evers spoke highly of the book all the lights by Clemens Meyers ,this is a story of people on the edge having lost out in life and love .
Midwinter sacrifice by Mons Kallentoft ,a new swedish thriller was suggested by L MacDougall from Hodder and Stoughton ,this is a follows Mallin a young detective ,has been called a better female character than Larsson’s
Tomorrow Pamplona by Jan Van Mersbergen ,I review this earlier this week a wonderful book about being a man .suggest by David Heb for the blog follow the thread .
Nia Polly mention her love of Basque poetry and you must look at the new issue of Transcript on-line the magazine about all things translation .
So we got crime ,dutch books ,italian books and some from Latin america this week my choice was skating Rink by Roberto Bolano .
Translation Thursday round up for 2 june
03 Jun 2011 15 Comments
I missed the last week with being in London but have this week list of books suggested and who suggested them .
Comedy in a minor Key by Hans Keilson – Every review of this I ve read has loved it .The books follows a dutch couple trying to get rid of a body of a jewish man they were hiding he died this week aged 101 he had hidden in Holland himself during the war ,suggest by Matt G Craig .
Clochemerle by Gabriel Chevallier trans J Godefroi ,classic french satire about building of a urinal in a french village mad into a tv series in seventies ,I ve a copy of this as well I must read ,suggest by a penguin a week
Our ancestor by Italio Calvino trans Archibald Colquin ,any book by Calvino is going to be great ,This is a collection of three tall stories by the Italian master suggested by Parish Lantern .
The secret history of the lord of Musashi by Junchiro Tanzaki translator Anthony H Chambers follows the desires of a 16th century samurai ,also suggest by Parish Lantern
The scent of the night by Andrea Camileri translator Stephen Satareli ,part of her Montalbano series a great Italian crime series is the sixth in the series and find Montalbano tracking a Fiance man on the run ,suggested by Book worm 1979
Elise Blackwell
Elise Blackwell the talented american writer highlighted a piece on catranslation by Witold Gombrowicz
I suggest the new star of Korean literature Kyung-sook Shin here novel Please look after mother a hit in her homeland translated by Chi-Young Kim ,it tells of a mother getting lost en route to Seoul from four angles a bit like a Durrell novel .
Small memories by Jose Saramago – Saramago goes into his earliest memories in this book suggested by Gina from pebble in my shoe
The Aeneid by vigil trans by Robert Fitzgerald ,everyman among others use this version of the Roman classic about the founding of Rome ,suggested by edesmondananthony from twitter
Histories Naturelles by Jules Renard ,french poetry from one major figures in french writing ,Ravel set some of these to music available from one world classics ,suggested by london lib
special Assignment by Boris Akunin past of the Fardorin series about con men and corruption from the great russian crime writer the fifth in the series ,suggested by chasing Bawa
The castle by Franz Kafka trans by the wonderful Anthea bell Kafka’s last novel follows K as he tries to enter a mysterious castle ,suggest by OUP press .
As thou you were sleeping by Elias Khoury translator Humphrey Davies set in Beirut of the 40′s a dream like story suggested by Arablit and Myself as I m reading it at moment
.
From the mouth of the whale by Sjon ,his latest novel ,translated by Victoria Cribb ,set in 1630′s Iceland follows clashing of old and modern world and an exiled man suggested by I will tweet from just Williams luck .
The master of Go by Yasunari Kawabata translated by Edward Seidensticker , A classic from Japan about a master of the game go playing his last game ,a read for Japanese literature 5 by tony Malone of tony’s reading list .
Queen Pokou by Veronuique Tadjo Translator Amy Reid a retelling of Akan classic story ,her is Kinnas review ,a african classic from the Ivory coast writer ,,suggested by Kinna of Kinna reads .
Monsieur Linh by Philippe Claudel ,this is quirky french and has a truly wonderful end one of my favourites this year ,suggest by Rob of Rob around books .
Tomorrow Pamplona by Jan van Mersbergen trans Laura Watkinson ,two men take a road trip but more a trip into them selves ,suggest by Lizzie siddal.
There we are a wonderful mix of and old and new and people starting Japanese lit five run by Dolce bellezza ,I hope to join in the fun too ,later in year
#translationthurs round up
19 May 2011 28 Comments
in #translationthurs, around the world, TRANSLATIONS, twitter week Tags: 2011
Today on twitter it was suggested by two good twitter friend I am Amro and rob around books I start listing books mention on translation thus on the blog .I start this small meme last year and it is slowly growing and seems a great way to find new books to read if like me .you like world literature .
Blue fox by Sjon – suggest by I will tweet the guy behind Just William ,you should go over and have a look he does better reviews than me and loads of world lit .
Woodcutters by Thomas Bernard – suggested by Amelia atlas ,Bernhard was Austria favourite writer even if he dislike his homelands art scene I ve one of his near to of tbr pile .
Gold by Blaise Cendrars - The renown swiss writer ,a peter Owen edition they publish a few of his books .This was John s. of asylum suggestion ,he reviews a great mix of fiction ,with highly insightful analysis of books ,a number in translation.
The death of Napoleon by Simon Leys -suggest by great twitter friend Simon from inside books ,from the Belgian writer pierre ryckmans ,Simon Leys is his non de plume was made into a film called emperors new clothes .
blood sisters by Alessandro Perissinotto – a book I like when I review an italian crime novel suggested by Cazbah88 from Carol’s book corner blog
Memoirs of the duc de saint Simon by Louis de Reuvroy -a french classic ,new to me here is the wiki info suggest by dave trembley
Lost honour of Katherine Blume by Heinrich boll -from Meike at Peirene as their writer Friedrich Christian Delius had won the Georg Buchner prize ,germany’s biggest Literary prize ,as had Boll .
THE topless tower by Silivna Ocampo - New Zealand based Tim Jones from tim Joness blog ,The surreal Argentina novel considered a classic
The sleeping Dragon by Miyuki Miybe -a Japanese mystery by In spring it i s the dawn from the blog of the same Name
The final going of snow by Kristina Ehins -suggest by mpt magazine the poetry translation magazine ,Estonian Poetry in translation .
A void by Georges Perec -the novel that’s a detective novel with a vowel missing all way through the book ,suggest by Gary and Gina here are the blogs Parrish Lantern and Gina Choe both great world lit bloggers .
Spring in Fialta by Vladimir Nabokov -suggest by Nia Polly from her blog and literature across frontiers comms manager a great site link lit in europe ,not read this Nabokov but he was one of the best writers in the 20th century wrote in russian and english .
STEFAN ZWEIG
The post office girl by Stefan Zweig -by new york based writer Katie Kitamura writer of longshot ,post office girl is a study of class I loved it when I reviewed it here on winstonsdad .
The Lusiads by Luis vaz de Camoes – by themselves Oxford world classics ,a Portuguese classic about them discovering the world .
Cibernectica e fantasmi in une pietra sopra by Italo Calvino -suggest by sam tweets books ,loved every Calvino I ve read so sure this will be good .
Tomorrow Pamplona by Jan Van Mersbergen -Peirene press no 4 ,I finish it last week out 7th June well worth reading one hell of a ride like grabbing the bull by the horns .suggest by tony from tony reading list
Memoirs of a porcupine by Alain Mabanckou- a book narrate by said porcupine of the title loved broken glass reviewed here on winstonsdad ,suggest by the publisher serpents tail
Traveller and Innkeeper by Fadhill al-Azzawi- by Arablit great blog for all arabic lit ,set in Iraq follows a secret policeman published in 70′s in Arabic
Redbreast by Jo Nesbo -by little reader who has recently returned to blogging ,the third in the Harry hole series I read snowman from this series a well written taut crime novel ,of nordic noir style .
Kamchatka by Marcelo Figureas suggest by Rob from Rob around books my favourite IFFP read ,reviewed here on winstonsdad .
well that’s them for this week ,we had books from every where and every age and genre just shows what you can find in translation if you look .
I m on Booktrust blog
15 Mar 2011 14 Comments
in #translationthurs, TRANSLATIONS, twitter week Tags: prize winners, TRANSLATIONS
Any one that follows me on twitter Knows I m about most of the time and chat a lot with people .This is how I got be on The booktrust translated fiction blog page ,as part of the IFFP coverage I tell how I started reading translated fiction HERE
IFFP LONGLIST 2011
10 Mar 2011 6 Comments
in #translationthurs, TRANSLATIONS Tags: 2011, prize winners
Here is the longlist I got one from what I predicted at weekend .
- Beside the Sea by Veronique Olmi; translated by Adriana Hunter (Peirene Press), French
- To the End of the Land by David Grossman; translated by Jessica Cohen (Jonathan Cape), Hebrew
- Red April by Santiago Roncagliolo; translated by Edith Grossmann (Atlantic Books), Spanish
- Kamchatka by Marcelo Figueras; translated by Frank Wynne (Atlantic Books), Spanish
- The Sickness by Alberto Berrera Tyszka; translated by Margaret Jull Costa (Maclehose Press), Spanish
- Fame by Daniel Kehlmann; translated by Carol Brown Janeway (Quercus), German
- The Secret History of Costaguana by Juan Gabriel Vasquez; translated by Anne McLean (Bloomsbury), Spanish
- Visitation by Jenny Erpenbeck; translated by Susan Bernofsky (Portobello Books), German
- Lovetown by Michal Witkowski; translated by W Martin (Portobello Books), Polish
- Gargling with Tar by Jachym Topol; translated by David Short (Portobello Books), Czech
- The Museum of Innocence by Orhan Pamuk; translated by Maureen Freely (Faber), Turkish
- Dark Matter by Juli Zeh; translated by Christine Lo (Harvill Secker), German
- I Curse the River of Time by Per Petterson; translated by Charlotte Barslund with Per Petterson (Harvill Secker), Norweigan
- Villain by Shuichi Yoshida; translated by Philip Gabriel (Harvill Secker), Japanese
- The Journey of Anders Sparrman by Per Wastberg; translated by Tom Geddes (Granta), Swedish
This year’s longlist .from book trust .
well I ve only read two ,some othes I have mentioned on other post .I ve two more hopefully winging there way in the post to me.Hope read some more if time .
What do you make of the list ?
what was your favourite translation last year ?
