In collaboration with Charco Press, Comma Press, Istros Books, Nordisk Books and Peirene Press, we're excited to announce the Translated Fiction Online Book Club! We all publish translated fiction from various corners of the world, and we wanted to create an online space to read together and help us – and you – feel a little bit more connected right now. Each week, a different press will take over to discuss one of their books. An ambitious schedule? Don't worry! Our featured books are short, interesting, and not bleak. Read with us!
Now to the practicalities: Hosted by Peirene Press, we will be holding weekly meetings via Zoom, a video conferencing platform, every Thursday at 8pm GMT. To register your interest, simply subscribe to the book club mailing list so we can send you more information on which books will be featured and, most importantly, the link to the Zoom meetings. You will need to have Zoom downloaded on your device, but don't worry – installation takes around one minute and is very easy. If you want to read along but can't make it to the meeting, join the conversation by using #virtualbookclub on your social media outlet of choice.
Peirene will be leading the first meeting next Thursday (March 26th 2020) with The Mussel Feast by Birgit Vanderbeke (transl. Jamie Bulloch). At just over 100 pages, it’s a fast but intense read, a family drama set just before the fall of the Berlin Wall. You can order your copy from the Peirene website and use the discount code “bookclub” for 30% off.
Other books featured will introduce you to authors from Argentina, Croatia, Norway and Sudan. Our Tilted Axis book is the wonderful Where The Wild Ladies Are by Matsuda Aoko, translated by Polly Barton. We’re excited to read with you and hope it can provide both distraction and connection.
Hope to see you all soon via Zoom! Stay healthy and happy.
Love from Team TAP.
We will read:
Week 1: The Mussel Feast by Birgit Vanderbeke, tr. Jamie Bulloch (German), published by Peirene Press
Week 2: Where The Wild Ladies Are by Matsuda Aoko, tr. Polly Barton (Japanese), published by Tilted Axis Press
Week 3: Fate by Jorge Consiglio, tr. Carolina Orloff & Fionn Petch (Spanish - Argentina), published by Charco Press
Week 4: Restless by Kenneth Moe, tr. Alison McCullough (Norwegian), published by Nordisk Books
Week 5: Thirteen Months of Sunrise by Rania Mamoun, tr. Elisabeth Jacquette (Arabic - Sudan), published by Comma Press
Week 6: Singer in the Night by Olja Savičević, tr. Celia Hawkesworth (Croatian), published by Istros Books
