Hello Gentle Reader
Three Percent has announced its own Shortlist for The Best Translated Book Award. Over the course of just a little over a month, it had announced its longlist, and had paid equal attention to each of the books that had made it on the longlist. Each book was described and given an argument of why it should win. Each novel was given care and attention, and was individually held up to the readers and spectators as not just an amazing book, because they said so – but proven why. Along with the fiction shortlist is the poetry shortlist as well. Past winners include Kiwao Nomura, Elena Fanailova and Aleš Šteger.
The Fiction longlist, is made up of authors known, and unknown. It contains the Poet of the Apocalypse László Krasznahorkai for his metaphysical novel; as well as a Nobel Laureate in Literature Herta Müller for her documentary like novel; and poetic hybrid that shows the undying spirit of being a human being; others include the Brazilian novelist and short story writer, who has a passion for the void Clarice Lispector; but also one of Russia’s greatest contemporary authors but also uneasy with his home country Mikhail Shishkin.
The Fiction shortlist:
The Planets by Sergio Chejfec (Argentina)
Prehistoric Times by Eric Chevillard (France)
The Colonel by Mahmoud Dowlatabadi (Iran)
Satantango by László Krasznahorkai (Hungary)
Autoportrait by Edouard Levé (France)
A Breath of Life: Pulsations by Clarice Lispector (Brazil)
The Hunger Angel by Herta Müller (Romania/Germany)
Maidenhair by Mikhail Shishkin (Russia/Switzerland)
Transit by Abdourahman A. Waberi (Djibouti)
My Father’s Book by Urs Widmer (Switzerland)
For equal good measure one must include the Poetry shortlist as well. Admittedly I only recognize two authors and their collections of the shortlist; they being Nichita Stanescu and Xi Chuan.
Transfer Fat by Aase Berg (Sweden)
pH Neutral History by Lidija Dimkovska (Macedonia)
The Invention of Glass by Emmanuel Hocquard (France)
Wheel with a Single Spoke by Nichita Stanescu (Romania)
Notes on the Mosquito by Xi Chuan (China)
Almost 1 Book / Almost 1 Life by Elfriede Czurda (Austria)
There you have it Gentle Reader, the shortlists for the Best Translated Book Award. It will be very interesting to see which author wins, in which category. It is safe to say that the judges have their work cut out for them.
Thank-you For Reading Gentle Reader
Take Care
And As Always
Stay Well Read
*And Remember: Downloading Books Illegally is Thievery and Wrong.*
M. Mary
