Every year, more readers are discovering the magic of translated fiction as a way of immersing themselves in new cultures and broadening their own worldviews. Women in Translation Month, celebrated every August since its inception in 2013, is a special time to honor the incredible women around the world who write in languages other than English.
This month, we invite you to explore poignant novels and thought-provoking non-fiction by these talented women. Dive into the richness of global literature and add one (or more!) of these exceptional books to your August reading list.
The Image of Her by Simone de Beauvoir, Lauren Elkin (Trasnslator)
The Loft by Marlen Haushofer, Amanda Prantera (Translator)
An Austrian housewife sits in her loft intent on her drawings of birds and insects. The loft is a retreat where she can work undisturbed. It is also a retreat from her dull and dissatisfied husband.
Then one day, a package arrives containing extracts from the narrator's diary, written twenty years before. Back then she had been sent away to a remote cottage in a bid to 'cure' her from unexplained sudden deafness. More mysterious packages containing old diary entries arrive. Who is sending them? And what did happened all those years ago in the forest?
Deep underground, thirty-nine women are kept in isolation in a cage. Above ground, a world awaits. Has it been abandoned? Devastated by a virus? Watched over by guards, the women have no memory of how they got there, no notion of time, and only vague recollection of their lives before. A young girl sits alone an outcast in the corner.
Rika Horauchi’s new part-time job is to converse with a statue of Venus – in Latin – every Monday, when the museum is closed. As Venus comes to life in the quiet of the museum, they talk about everything. Venus opens up new worlds for Rika, both intellectually and emotionally. They soon fall in love. But when the museum’s curator, Hashibami, makes it clear he wants to keep Venus for himself, what will Rika do?
In 1947 Simone de Beauvoir took a road trip across America, and she captured the entire experience in her journal. This captivating book is that journal and an immersive portrait of postwar America. Beauvoir was disturbed by the poverty and segregation she encountered and at the same time delighted by American energy and friendliness.
Roadkill by Amil, Archana Madhavan (Translator)
With strong roots in feminist science fiction and fantasy, Roadkill ’s exhilarating stories transport us to strange new worlds. The women in these stories find themselves trapped – by circumstance, society or tradition – as they fight for a means of escape. This sweeping and subversive collection celebrates their strength and their courage, their desire for independence and self-expression.
Fearless and Free by Josephine Baker, Anam Zafar (Translator), Sophie Lewis (Translator)
The iconic Josephine Baker in her own words.
Funny, candid and unconventional: the wildly famous but elusive Josephine Baker tells her own story in this enchanting memoir. Formed from a series of conversations with the French journalist Marcel Sauvage over a period of more than twenty years, and now translated into English for the first time, this gorgeous book offers an insight into one of the most beguiling figures of the twentieth century.
Waist Deep by Linea Maja Ernst, Sherilyn Nicolette Hellberg (Translator)
Five friends from university; seven summer days in a cabin in rural Denmark. A chance to swim, sunbathe, flirt, read and mess around like in the old days. At least, that’s what Sylvia had hoped. But when her friends arrive with real jobs, kids and partners, Sylvia is left wondering what happened to the radical ways of living they embraced at university.
Worse, Esben and Karen announce their plan to get married at the end of the week, striking a blow to Sylvias simmering, decades-long crush on Esben – a crush that her monogamous girlfriend Charlie would definitely not approve of.
Discontent (Translator)
Life can’t go on like this – can it? This book is for everyone who has ever wanted more : more time, more meaning, more connection.
On the surface, Marisa’s life looks enviable. She lives in a nice apartment in the heart of Madrid, her friendly neighbour and lover Pablo lives downstairs, and she’s risen quickly through the ranks at a successful advertising agency. And yet Marisa hates her job and everything about it.
Told with acid humour to explosive consequences, Discontent is a dazzling tale of modern angst and finally acting on our wilder impulses to reclaim our lives from work.
