We’re firm believers in the ‘translator as curator’ credo here at And Other Stories – we know from experience that translators play a vital role in selecting & presenting a given country’s literature, and there are certain translators whose name is a stamp of quality, not just in terms of their translation, but in terms of the original book. With that in mind, we’ve got a list of #WomenInTranslationMonth recommendations, all translated by our own fabulous translators!
Elvira Navarro’s THE HAPPY CITY tr Rosalind Harvey
An intriguing slow-burner which morphs into a powerfully intelligent, grippingly off-centre presentation of human connection in all its oblique, ambiguous complexity. Reminded us of Viola di Grado’s 70% Acrylic 30% Wool tr Michael Reynolds.
Stella Rotenberg’s SHARDS tr Donal McLaughlin
Born in Vienna in 1916, Stella Rotenberg fled to Britain after Hitler’s annexation of Austria. The poetry she subsequently wrote stemmed from a desperate need to keep the German language alive for herself, and form a moving testament to the loneliness of her exile.
Marcela Serrano’s TEN WOMEN tr Beth Fowler
The first book by this award-winning Chilean novelist to appear in English, the all-female protagonists span a full range of age, occupation, ethnicity etc, their stories forming a fascinatingly varied tapestry of female experience in modern Chile.
Sabina Berman’s ME, WHO DOVE INTO THE HEART OF THE WORLD tr Lisa Dillman
This debut novel by Mexican playwright, poet & screenwriter Berman is narrated by autistic savant Karen Nieto, but if you’re expecting something Curious Incident-esque you’ll be pleasantly surprised. A charming, positive exploration of ‘neurodiversity’, and a refreshingly different window on the world.
Bibish’s THE DANCER FROM KHIVA tr Andrew Bromfield
Subtitled One Muslim Woman’s Quest for Freedom, this hard-hitting memoir tells the story of a girl from a deeply religious village in Uzbekistan, who had to use every ounce of her impressive will and courage in order to make her own way in the world.
Clarice Lispector’s AGUA VIVA tr Stefan Tobler
Hypnotic, poetic meditations from the late, great Brazilian genius. If you haven’t yet immersed yourself in the idiosyncratic world of Clarice Lispector, you’ve got one hell of a ride ahead of you. Fans of high modernism, rejoice!
Maria Duenas’ THE SEAMSTRESS tr Daniel Hahn
This multi-million-copy bestseller is an old-fashioned tale of intrigue, love and mystery, set against the turbulent backdrop of the Spanish Civil War. Delightful, masterful storytelling.
Violette Leduc’s THERESE AND ISABELLE tr Sophie Lewis
Sufficiently shocking as to have been deemed unpublishable until very recently both in Leduc’s native France and in English translation, this story of an adolescent love-affair at an all-girls’ school is far from pornography, yet refuses to shy away from the sexual nature of the liaison. Nicholas Lezard’s guardian review explains.
Sibylle Lewitscharoff’s APOSTOLOFF tr Katy Derbyshire
Katy Derbyshire deserves special credit for being one of our most prolific translators of women – she also has books by Christa Wolf and Inka Parei under her belt – as do Seagull Books for publishing them. An unsentimental roadtrip through Bulgaria, the prose is one of the best things about this novel. Sentences to make a fellow translator swoon with envy.