Lost to translation: how English readers miss out on foreign female writers

Only a third of books translated into English last year were by female writers. As Women in Translation month wraps up, we investigate why – and if things are changing• In their own words: 10 female translators on the work that inspires themWhen Argentinian author Samanta Schweblin’s first book, El núcleo del disturbio came out in 2002, she was 24 years old, a fresh, female voice in a Latin American literary scene dominated by male greats: Jorge Luis Borges, Julio Cortázar, Mario Vargas Llosa, Gabriel García Márquez. Every good review was important, even if the praise was occasionally backhanded: one well-known Argentinian critic loved her debut and said that she wrote like a man.More than a decade later, she rolls her eyes. “That’s a compliment? It was so strange to me … and he was trying to be very nice, trying to cheer me up and push my career,” says Schweblin, now with a Man Booker International prize nomination under her belt. Related: In their own words: 10 female translators on the work that inspires them Related: The malice and sexism behind the ‘unmasking’ of Elena Ferrante Continue reading... Continue reading at 'The Guardian'

[ The Guardian | 2017-08-31 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Abu Dhabi International Book Fair Includes 25 Translations from French, English, and German

With 1,350 exhibitors on tap and more than 800 sessions and events planned for visitors, the 28th iteration of  the Abu Dhabi International Book Fair is expected to showcase some 500,000 titles and to introduce the Kalima Translation Project's latest volumes. The post Abu Dhabi International... Continue reading at Publishing Perspectives

[ Publishing Perspectives | 2018-04-19 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Female writers dominated 2017's literary bestsellers, figures show

Topped by Margaret Atwood, the UK’s Top 10 bestselling authors of literary fiction last year features only one male writer, Haruki MurakamiFlying in the face of Norman Mailer’s infamous comment that “a good novelist can do without everything but the remnant of his balls”, Haruki Murakami was the... Continue reading at The Guardian

[ The Guardian | 2018-01-17 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Why should we subsidise writers who have lost the plot? | Tim Lott

I’m not surprised sales of literary fiction are in decline – too many authors fail to engage their readers with any sort of story• Tim Lott is an author and journalistFollowing the announcement from Arts Council England that sales of literary fiction are plummeting, it is suggested that arts... Continue reading at The Guardian

[ The Guardian | 2018-01-01 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Sceptre to translate Wells' German bestseller into English for first time

Sceptre is publishing Benedict Wells' German bestseller The End of Loneliness in March 2018, marking his English-language debut. Continue reading at The Bookseller

[ The Bookseller | 2017-09-29 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Eight award-winning writers pen eerie tales for English Heritage

Stories from award-winning writers including Jeanette Winterson, Max Porter and Sarah Perry are to feature in a new collection of ghost stories from English Heritage and September Publishing. Continue reading at The Bookseller

[ The Bookseller | 2017-07-14 00:00:00 UTC ]
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SoA and PA join English PEN in fight to free imprisoned writers worldwide

The Society of Authors, the Publishers Association and English PEN are launching a joint campaign in aid of imprisoned writers worldwide, called Speak Out. Continue reading at The Bookseller

[ The Bookseller | 2017-06-17 00:00:00 UTC ]
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In Memoirs, Religious Writers Tell of Faith Lost and Found

New and forthcoming memoirs in the religion and spirituality category tell stories of overcoming adversity, and of faith found, changed, or regained. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly

[ Publishers Weekly | 2017-06-16 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Global Literature in Libraries Initiative: Bridging the Translation-Reader Gap

A fledgling cooperation between translators and librarians aims to bring more international literature to American library patrons. The post Global Literature in Libraries Initiative: Bridging the Translation-Reader Gap appeared first on Publishing Perspectives. Continue reading at Publishing Perspectives

[ Publishing Perspectives | 2017-03-01 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Lost in translation

Independent publisher and author Kit Caless explores discussions on translation held at the recent Jaipur Literary Festival. Continue reading at The Bookseller

[ The Bookseller | 2017-02-08 00:00:00 UTC ]
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An English Translation of a Japanese TV Series Based on a Swedish Book

A 36-year-old kids' fantasy novel comes to UK and US screens this month. 'Ronya, the Robber's Daughter' is by Astrid Lindgren, author of Pippi Longstocking. The post An English Translation of a Japanese TV Series Based on a Swedish Book appeared first on Publishing Perspectives. Continue reading at Publishing Perspectives

[ Publishing Perspectives | 2017-01-16 00:00:00 UTC ]
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'Index' translates work of murdered Argentine writer

Freedom of expression magazine Index on Censorship has negotiated rights to translate a short story from Haroldo Conti, an Argentine writer who was "disappeared" by the state in the 1970s during the Argentine military dictatorship. Continue reading at The Bookseller

[ The Bookseller | 2016-12-23 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Noir Press: Bringing Lithuanian Fiction to English Readers

‘Does a Lithuanian author stand a chance in the ocean of books on British bookshop shelves?’ Noir Press’ Stephan Collishaw says he has a good answer. Laura Sintija Černiauskaitė is the Vilnius-born, 39-year-old author who won the 2009 European Union Prize for Literature for her ‘Kvėpavimas į... Continue reading at Publishing Perspectives

[ Publishing Perspectives | 2016-12-07 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Carcanet to mark Remembrance Day with first English translation of Alain-Fournier's poetry

Carcanet Press will shortly release the first-ever English translation of French author Alain-Fournier’s poetry. Continue reading at The Bookseller

[ The Bookseller | 2016-11-02 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Graphic sex: intimate cartoon history of sex translated into English

The Story of Sex, a witty account that embraces everything from the earliest humans to the age of cybersex, has already been a hit in FranceRanging from Cleopatra’s invention of the vibrator to a Dutch shopkeeper’s accidental discovery of the existence of sperm, a comic book detailing the... Continue reading at The Guardian

[ The Guardian | 2016-09-27 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Robert Gottlieb: Avid Reader, Reluctant Writer

Robert Gottlieb in his Midtown Manhattan townhouse. He has mainly spent his career as an editor but has just published a memoir about his life in the world of books. Continue reading at The New York Times

[ The New York Times | 2016-09-23 00:00:00 UTC ]
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#Women_writers manifesto aims to build community of female authors

Laurie Garrison’s call to arms is intended to foster collaboration ‘rejecting traditional models of publishing’The internet is not always a safe place for women, so there is something hearteningly radical about women staking a claim to this space to assert their own ambitions and interests. The... Continue reading at The Guardian

[ The Guardian | 2016-08-17 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Female Crime Writers Group Issues Diversity Report

After polling 1,100 of its members, the female crime writers group found that it is a disproportionately white organization. Non-hispanic whites make up 93% of its membership, compared to 62% of the U.S. population. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly

[ Publishers Weekly | 2016-08-17 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Hans Fallada novel, Nightmare in Berlin, gets first English translation

Story of married couple contending with a devastated postwar Berlin follows runaway success of Alone in BerlinHans Fallada’s 1947 novel Alone in Berlin was the hit book of the summer six years ago, selling 300,000 copies and making a bestseller of an author who had been largely forgotten. Now... Continue reading at The Guardian

[ The Guardian | 2016-07-28 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Novella by Saddam Hussein gets English translation

Described by publisher as ‘a mix between Game of Thrones and the UK House of Cards-style fiction’, the book is due out in DecemberA novella written by Saddam Hussein, and finished in the lead-up to the 2003 Iraq war, is set to be translated into English for the first time by a UK... Continue reading at The Guardian

[ The Guardian | 2016-07-11 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Survey: Translated Fiction Outsells English Fiction in the UK

'Currently 25 percent of our top 20 fiction titles are translated,' we learn from Waterstones. It appears that UK readers are surprisingly into international books. The post Survey: Translated Fiction Outsells English Fiction in the UK appeared first on Publishing Perspectives. Continue reading at Publishing Perspectives

[ Publishing Perspectives | 2016-05-11 00:00:00 UTC ]
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