Hello
Gentle Reader
My
apologies in the delay of finding this information, Gentle Reader; but the
winners of this Best Translated Book Award for Fiction and Poetry are:
[Fiction]
Patrick
Chamoiseau – Martinique (French Language) – “Slave Old Man,”
[Poetry]
Hilda
Hilst – Brazil – “Of Death. Minimal Odes.”
“Slave
Old Man,” by Patrick Chamoiseau is a worthy winner of this year’s award. It is
neither vogue nor topical. Rather, it is a powerful novel exploring slavery and
freedom, all through the narrative of a daring fleeing old slave man, pursued
by his master and his hound, through the jungles of Martinique. The jungle
begins to show its surreal and corrosive touch, by infecting and slowly
twisting the notions of time and reality, into a surreal landscape touched by
the hallucinogenic. It’s a vivid novel exploring the malice and humiliation of
the slave trade through dehumanization and demoralization of the slaves themselves,
while shining a light on the dark aspects of the Caribbean history.
A
truly power, worthy and moving novel, befit for the Best Translated Book Award.
“Of
Death. Minimal Odes,” by Hilda Hilst, once again surprises me. Again, Gentle
Reader, I reiterate, I am not a poetry reader. At best, I am a distant admirer.
Yet, I though Kim Hyesoon would receive the poetry award win with her poetry
collection: “Autobiography of Death.” Hilda Hilst, the Brazilian poetry master
walked away with the award, with her searing and difficult poetry collection: “Of
Death. Minimal Odes.” The judges were amazed at the poet’s blasphemous tenderness,
as she explored the tantalizing seduction of death, and its numerous layers. It’s
a complicated work of Brazilian modernist and postmodernist poetry. Though most
famous for her experimental and uncompromising works of prose, her first collection
of poetry within the English language, has proven to showcase her talents for
the provocative and the poetic, before she turned her gaze towards prose.
Congratulations
to both Authors!
Thank-you
For Reading Gentle Reader
Take
Care
And
As Always
Stay
Well Read
M.
Mary
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