The Best Translated Book Award Finalists, 2018

Hello Gentle Reader

Just over a month ago snow tenaciously clung to the ground, refusing with conviction to melt or thaw. Now bushes and trees are in leaf, weeds are green and have sprouted and the grass has shaken off its winter shawl and growing with renewed fervor. The sky is expansive and blue, peppered with clouds; while the sun oppressively shines and the heat grows tiresomely tyrannical. The Best Translated Book Award has released their finalists for this year’s award, and much like in years past, the judges have been tasked with reducing the extensive and impressive longlist down to its chosen final ten. Much like the longlist, which was praised for its success in including a wide variety of books which tackled a multitude of themes and perspectives, the finalists reflect this same venture.

Below Gentle Reader, are this year’s ten fiction finalists, listed in no particular order:

Guðbergur Bergsson – Iceland – “Tómas Jónsson, Bestseller,"

Anaïs Barbeau-Lavalette – Canada (Quebec) – “Suzanne,”

Fleur Jaeggy – Switzerland/Italy – “I am the Brother of XX,”

Wolfgang Hilbig – Germany – “Old Rendering Plant,”

Marie NDiaye – France – “My Heart Hemmed In,”

Wu He – China – “Remains of Life,”

Mathias Énard – France – “Compass,”

Romina Paula – Argentina – “August,”

Santiago Gamboa – Columbia – “Return to the Dark Valley,”

Rodrigo Fresán – Argentina – “The Invented Part,”

The diversity of the longlist has now been condensed into the shortlist. The novels range from the postmodern, historical, to the personal, as well as novels and short stories. My two favorites on these years shortlist are: [the late] Wolfgang Hilbig with his stream-of consciousness and postmodern novel about childhood set in the former East Germany; and the Swiss Italian language author, Fleur Jaeggy, with her newest collection of steel scalpel precise stories “I am the Brother of XX.” Of the two, I only own “I am the Brother of XX,” and have read a couple of the stories within the collection—which range in both length, but never constrained intensity. First impressions with Fleur Jaeggy’s newest collection is as startling, frightening, and claustrophobically controlled and desolate, less gothic then “Last Vanites,” but just as violently delicious. We He also makes the shortlist with his stream of consciousness historical novel reviewing the genocidal actions committed by the Japanese military against an aboriginal tribe who had committed a head hunting ritual which killed soldiers in the ranks. The novel is a postmodern historical exploration of these atrocities. Mathias Énard also comes onto the list with his large sprawling novel about orientalism, music, philosophy, history, among a multitude of other themes and preoccupying reminisces. Marie NDiaye is no stranger to the Best Translated Book Award, being shortlisted last year for the prize; her newest translated novel “My Heart Hemmed In,” is considered psychologically potent, devastating,  and frightening novel on social issues, discrimination, prejudices, and persecution in a world gone slowly divided and made. “My Heart Hemmed In,” is a novel with keen social insights and a pointed perspective on a world continually divided and concerned with distinctions and differences. The Southern continent is well represented on this year’s shortlist with two books by Argentine writers and one from Columbia. Romina Paula writes a poignant novel about coming of age, identity and grief in her novel “August.” Santiago Gamboa is considered one of the most influential young writers to rise out of “Columbia,” he is in complete contrast to the Latin Boom writers of decades past, and instead moves in the same vein as the late Roberto Bolano, writing in a striking style both noir and populated by the desperate and colourful characters who are both ideal and realistic. The world of Gamboa is violently turbulent and beautiful, liberation is continually sought and always on the cusp of explosion.

The finalists for this year’s poetry portion of the Best Translated Book Award are as follows, again listed in no particular order:

Ursula Andkjaer Olsen – Denmark – “Third-Millennium Heart,”

Aase Berg – Sweden – “Hackers,”

Ana Ristović – Serbia – “Directions for Use,”

Eleni Vakalo – Greece – “Before Lyricism,”

Wilson Bueno – Brazil – “Paraguayan Sea,”

Hirato Renkichi – Japan – “Spiral Staircase,”

As is a well-known fact—I am no poetry reader, and therefore cannot offer much comment or commentary on the poetry finalists, but once again it appears to be a unique longlist, perhaps the most striking of the finalists is the Greek Eleni Vakalo and her monumental and striking display of linguistic acrobatics in her poetry collection “Before Lyricism.” Aase Berg also returns to the poetry shortlist with her newest collection of poetry: “Hackers.”

There you have it Gentle Reader, this year’s Best Translated Book Award Finalists for two-thousand and eighteen. Once again the judges have drafted a wonderful list of finalists for this year’s award with many worth winners. It’ll be interesting to see who will win this year’s award.

Thank-you For Reading Gentle Reader

Take Care

And As Always

Stay Well Read

M. Mary