What are they reading? 🤔

As we inch closer to the Booker International and EBRD prize announcements and congratulate Norman Erikson Pasaribu & Tiffany Tsao for their Republic of Consciousness Award, we wanted to take a breath and find out what our nominated and award-winning authors are reading. It’s an incredible list - you’ll definitely hit up the indie bookshops after this!

More soon with news and photos from Norman Erikson Pasaribu’s thought provoking (and ridiculously fun) UK tour of Happy Stories, Mostly (translated by Tiffany Tsao).

Finally, continue reading internationally and intersectionally with the highly anticipated Chinatown by Thuận (translated by Nguyễn An Lý). A Republic of Consciousness Book of the Month for June, you can pre-order it here or join the club and receive an early copy of the book 😎

Much love,
TAP x

ANTON HUR, translator of Booker International Prize-longlisted Sang Young Park's Love in the Big City and Booker International-shortlisted Bora Chung's Cursed Bunny.

Which three seminal books which have been translated to English would you recommend to people interested in learning about Korean culture?

The Girl Who Wrote Loneliness by Kyung-Sook Shin, translated by Hayun Jung, is the most important Korean novel to emerge from post-war Korea; it really encapsulates the whole country in one book. The Vegetarian by Han Kang, translated by Deborah Smith, is also a pivotal book that changed the face of Korean literature when it won the inaugural International Booker in 2016, and its feminist message is more important than ever today, not just in Korea. For a different vibe, I recommend I’m Waiting for You by Kim Bo-young, translated by Sophie Bowman and Sung Ryu, a great work of SF romance and metaphysics that seems to have been overlooked upon publication. All three are great reads.

Classic translated book you’d recommend & a translated book from the past 10 years.

There’s a new translation of Albert Camus’ The Plague by Laura Marris that I enjoyed recently, it was much clearer than the edition I had to study from in high school. Jeffrey Zuckerman’s translation of Silence of the Chagos by Shanez Patel was shocking to me because I had no idea such an incident had occurred and was ongoing in my lifetime, and the beauty of the writing and translation makes it even more heartbreaking.

SANG YOUNG PARK, author of Booker International Prize-longlisted Love in the Big City.

What’s your earliest reading memory?

Back when I was a child, as now, Korean parents have this thing where they buy their home a set of ‘world classics’ for their children (and for interior decorating purposes). As a little boy, I began reading Agatha Christie mysteries, Sherlock Holmes, and Lupin by the set. Eventually I realised that reading about jealousy, slander, and murder were not exactly conducive to the moral development of young children. But it also gave me a taste for other worlds. I moved on to other classics that were lying around the house: Little Women, Wuthering Heights, The Sadness of Young Werther, The Count of Monte Christo, Lady Chatterley’s Lover, and Jekyll and Hyde. These books shaped my very emotions. And it was through Park Wanseo’s work that I became acquainted with Korean literature in earnest.

What authors have made the biggest impact to your work?

Park Wanseo.

Tell us about a book that changed your life.

I studied French Literature for my university degree. Reading Annie Ernaux’s Simple Passion and Marguerite Duras’ The Lover in the same semester was like having my whole life split into two. I was overjoyed that such literature and such writing were even possible, and it fed my desire to become someone who could create such literature.

TIFFANY TSAO, translator of Booker International Prize-longlisted Norman Erikson Pasaribu's Happy Stories, Mostly.

Which three seminal books which have been translated to English would you recommend to people interested in learning about Indonesian culture?

To be honest, I am not fond of questions like this: I don’t think the goal of reading books from a country should be to learn more about that country’s culture—there are cultural guidebooks for that sort of thing. And I feel ‘seminal’ is a big burden to bear.

But I can recommend three things translated from Indonesian into English that are not my top three but a few of the many I think people should read: 1) the Buru Quartet by Pramoedya Ananta Toer, translated by Max Lane (which is actually four books…people often stop after the first one, but I think it’s important to read all the books); 2) not a book, but an online series of Indonesian fiction and poetry that I co-edited with the writer Eliza Vitri Handayani for the arts organization InterSastra. The series is called Unrepressed and showcases work that explores themes that are often sidelined, suppressed, or considered taboo in Indonesia. I’m very proud to have co-edited it. The series features emerging writers and translators alongside more established ones and sheds light on the different and diverse challenges that people all across the archipelago face. 3) People From Bloomington by Budi Darma, which I confess I translated but am super excited about, and which is coming out in mid-April. It’s about people who live in Bloomington, Indiana—and just shows that Indonesian writing can defy foreign expectations.

Classic translated book you’d recommend & a translated book from the past 10 years.

Dream of the Red Chamber by Cao Xueqin (I read the translation by David Hawkes and John Minford). From the past 10 years: Arid Dreams by Duanwad Pimwana, translated by Mui Poopoksakul.

NORMAN ERIKSON PASARIBU, author of Booker Prize-longlisted Happy Stories, Mostly.

3 books that have been written in Indonesian, translated into English that you recommend to readers to introduce them to the culture of the country you’re from.

The first one is not a book, as it is available online for free. CERITRANS is a project that highlighted fiction, nonfiction, and poetry from Indonesian transwomen. It has my translation of a beautiful poem by Rari Rahmat. Sanggar Swara, a transwomen collective, collaborated with InterSastra for this project. So, when people ask, “Can the subaltern speak?” We can answer: if you let us.

Sitor Situmorang’s Oceans of Longing (trans. Harry Aveling, Keith Foulcher, Brian Russell Roberts) that came from the Thai publisher Silkworm a few years ago. His short story “Mother Goes to Heaven” is one of my favorite pieces of writing; it exposes the complex pull-and-pull relationship between Christianity and the Batak beliefs and traditions. A few days ago, Tiffany told me that Ashadi Siregar’s Rejection was recently published by Penguin SEA in Jennifer Lindsay’s translation. Rejection (Menolak Ayah) is an ambitious historical novel about the regional conflict in North Sumatera a few years after the Indonesian Independence.

I love anything that Erni Aladjai wrote. With the brilliant Chogwa magazine, we once published multiple English translations of a poem from Erni. Erni has a novel available in English, Kei (translated by Nurhayat Indriyatno Mohamed), which was published by Dalang Publishing. Kei speaks about the religious conflict in Kei island, a small island in Maluku. Here, fiction resists the state-framed narratives about the lives and deaths in Eastern Indonesia.

What other books would you like to see Happy Stories, Mostly sit beside on a bookshelf?

The Vegetarian! (by Han Kang, translated by Deborah Smith) It’s one of my favorite books of all time, and why I really wanted to work with Tilted Axis. Also: Mary Szybist’s Incarnadine, Claudia Rankine’s Citizen, Ellen van Neerven’s Comfort Food. And, it’d be an honor to sit with these brilliant books from home: I Am My Own Home by Isyana Artharini (that every single single-person should read), Ziggy Zezsyazeoviennazabrizkie’s Semua Ikan di Langit, and Tiffany Tsao’s The Majesties. And oh so many more!

GEETANJALI SHREE, author of Booker International Prize-shortlisted Tomb of Sand.

3 books that have been written in Hindi, translated into English that you recommend to readers to introduce them to the culture of the country you’re from.

Maila Anchal, Rag Darbari, Dil-o-Danish.

What other books would you like to see Tomb of Sand sit beside on a bookshelf?

Dil-o-Danish, Aadha Gaanv, Angan, Basti, The Old Man and the Sea, Don Quixote, Tin Drum, Soul Mountain, The Colour Purple, Waiting for the Barbarians, Independent People, and, with indescribable trepidation, the Mahabharat.

DAISY ROCKWELL, translator of Booker International Prize-shortlisted Tomb of Sand.

Which three seminal books which have been translated to English would you recommend to people interested in learning about Hindi culture?

Hindi is a language, one among many in India, so there is no specific ‘Hindi culture,’ per se. But to learn about Hindi literature, I would recommend the following three translations, shamelessly including one of my own: 1) Raag Darbari, by Shrilal Shukla (translated by Gillian Wright); 2) This is not that Dawn, by Yashpal (translated by Anand); A Gujarat here, a Gujarat there, by Krishna Sobti (translated by me).

Classic translated book you’d recommend & a translated book from the past 10 years.

Contemporary work: The Walls of Delhi, by Uday Prakash (translated by Jason Grunebaum); classic work: Falling Walls, by Upendranath Ashk (translated by me).

HAMID ISMAILOV, author of EBRD Prize-shortlisted Manaschi.

Classic translated book you’d recommend & a translated book from the past 10 years.

Andrey Platonov, Soul; Serhiy Zhadan, The Orphanage;

3 books that have been written in Uzbek, translated into English that you recommend to readers to introduce them to the culture of the country you’re from.

Abdulla Qodiriy, Bygone Days, Cho'lpon, Night and Day; Erkin A'zam, Heirs to the Great Sinner, Sheikh San'on

Work with us - we're hiring a publicist!

Role: PUBLICITY MANAGER

3 days a week - £20/h (Freelance)

Start Date: ASAP/ Flexible on discussion 

Location: London (remote working)

Tilted Axis Press is looking for a Publicity Manager to oversee our front list catalogue. This role is ideal for a publicist looking to take on more responsibility within a small team committed to publishing literature that might not otherwise make it into English, whether due to language, form, authorial identity or socio-economic position. There will also be opportunities to collaborate on publicity plans with international publishing houses, and to shape our publishing practices.

We’re looking for someone dedicated to the project of decolonisation and we want to know how this informs your practice as a publicist. What changes do you want to see in literary publicity? How would your work as Publicity Manager contribute to this?

You’ll be expected to tailor and present each title, author and translator to journalists, editors, social media influencers, bloggers and events coordinators while efficiently managing publicity campaigns for six titles a year. At least one year of experience as a publicist is preferred.

About Tilted Axis: 

Tilted Axis is a non-profit press publishing mainly work by Asian writers, translated into a variety of Englishes. Founded in 2015, we are based in the UK, a state whose former and current imperialism severely impacts writers in the majority world. This position, and those of our individual members, informs our practice, which is also an ongoing exploration into alternatives – to the hierarchisation of certain languages and forms, including forms of translation; to the monoculture of globalisation; to cultural, narrative, and visual stereotypes; to the commercialisation and celebrification of literature and literary translation.

As part of a small, friendly team, you'll be included in every discussion, giving you the opportunity to shape the direction and identity of the press. You'll get to work with some of the very best authors and translators active today, and make a real difference both to the global appreciation of their work and to the UK's literary culture, ensuring that great writing from all over the world is accessible and attractive to a readership that's diverse in all senses of the word.

Flexibility around distribution of hours is possible. We cover all work-related travel expenses.

Accessibility and decolonisation is at the heart of what we do. We especially encourage applications from those whose background is under-represented in UK publishing. We will work to accommodate any access needs for the interview process, as well as during the regular course of work.

To apply, please complete this form and send a one-page CV to jobs@tiltedaxispress.com by 13 December 2021.

You’ll need to be: 

• Highly organised 

• A solid administrator (a penchant for spreadsheets will not go unnoticed) 

• An effective communicator 

• A strong and creative problem solver (things don’t always run smoothly - how fast can you pivot and think of different approaches/solutions?)

Responsibilities:

Planning & delivering press campaigns for our upcoming titles

• Creating publicity plans for upcoming titles, based on book content, author and translator bio and availability; identifying key talking points as well as relevant topics, audience, venues, partners and media opportunities; timely sharing of publicity plan to communicate with external sales team

• Sourcing publicity copy from editor 

• Creating AI and press releases

• Sending out publicity announcements to the media

• Pitching titles to select publications for review, utilising talking points from publicity plan

• Creating and updating review list 

• Sending out proof copies to relevant editors and reviewers; liaising with reviewers, keeping track of planned and incoming reviews by date

• Creating, pitching, organising and marketing other advanced publicity such as extracts, opinion pieces and interviews

Organising, publicising & reporting on events

• Liaising with authors and translators to establish availability and appropriate event partners

• Pitching authors to relevant festivals; if author and/or translator is based in the UK or Europe, pitching to venues and partners

• Organising author/translator tours at least three months before intended dates, liaising with venues and media partners and securing publicity opportunities around it

• Organising author travel and accommodation

Commissioning & editing blog content

• Commissioning blog posts in cooperation with the rest of the team; edit and promote posts

Ethnic tensions and bardic traditions in contemporary Central Asia

The following is an extract from MANASCHI, the new novel by acclaimed author Hamid Ismailov. The book will publish 29 July - pre-order before then for an exclusive discount.

On the last day of the third twelve-year cycle, Bekesh had a dream which might have been a hallucination. He dreamt that he had crossed many rocks and hills to see his Uncle Baisal’s yurt on the highland pastures. In one gauntleted or gloved hand, his uncle was holding Tumor the hunting eagle, while in his other hand was a bowl full of fresh or sour milk. When the fierce Tumor saw Bekesh, who had not been very cautious in his approach, the creature grew alert, as if he were about to fly off to hunt; then he flapped his thickly feathered wings and crashed against the door through which Bekesh had just entered.  Bekesh greeted his uncle and sat down across from him, his face pallid with anxiety. His uncle proffered the bowl he was holding and said, ‘Drink!’

The drink in the bowl was white, but neither fresh nor sour milk. If it was salt, it didn’t taste salty; if it was snow, it hadn’t melted; if it was sand, it wasn’t grainy. When he was a child, in pioneer camp, Bekesh had had to down a liquid slurry called ‘gulvata’, and this was what he was reminded of in the dream. If he had to sip it, he couldn’t have; if he’d been told to chew it, his teeth wouldn’t have coped with it. As he sat there, his head spinning and his mouth parched, the sharp-eyed Baisal stared at his nephew and ordered him again, ‘Try it!’ Bekesh made an effort and took a gulp of the stuff: he felt a heavy weight in his stomach. The tape recorder he held in his hand and the desire he had had for a heart-to-heart interview were now forgotten.

Just then a loud noise rang out. It was as loud as if hordes of horsemen were bursting in,  turning everything upside down. Alarmed, Bekesh looked all around him. The panic-stricken eagle flew through the wind back into the yurt. Together with the stinging cold of the snow, like myriads of sparks, there came what may have been foot soldiers or perhaps horsemen. Something like ice penetrated Bekesh’s heart, it was some strange force that seized his whole being. The lordly Baisal, who was sitting by his side now, instantly had his eyebrows and beard turned white; he dissolved into spinning whirls of snow dust and wormwood. And with a rumbling roar, together with the yurts and everything in sight which was swallowed up in a white blizzard, he vanished…

In a cold sweat Bekesh awoke from this dream. He vigorously rubbed his swollen eyelids. He worshipped a God whom he had never once recalled in his life. He looked all around him. Utterly alone, he saw his walls still standing, calmed down a little and became settled.

In the morning, when Bekesh looked in the mirror to shave his thin beard, his face had turned into a piece of hide, stretched over his skull. Had it always been like this, or had the flesh on his cheeks and jaw thinned? This was how aliens were depicted: had he now turned into one too? Had his Kyrgyz heritage come to the fore now that he was ageing, and had every trace of his Tajik mother been lost? As he was shaving his wispy beard, recalling his dream the fear he had felt the night before, there was a knock at the door. Bekesh took a slightly dirty towel, wiped his face perfunctorily and went to answer it: a postman in a black gown stood at the threshold, holding a single-sheet telegram in his hand. ‘Sign for it,’ he said as he offered it to Bekesh. Bekesh signed for it, took the letter, and without saying even a word of farewell to this black shade, set off downstairs.

‘Your Uncle Baisal has died. Come!’ read the telegram.

Staring through the door after the departing black crow, Bekesh shivered violently, stark naked but for his dirty towel, the flesh on his shoulders sticking to his bones.

That day, when he got to the local radio station where he worked, Bekesh asked for indefinite leave of absence. His boss was uncooperative initially. When he heard of the death of Baisal, the famous Manas reciter, he had his underlings run to the archives to search for dialogues recorded at one time by Bekesh himself. Only after these were recovered did he finally sign off on Bekesh’s request. Bekesh now took the opportunity to retrieve for himself copies of some conversations that had slipped his memory. Then he borrowed a small sum of money from his colleague Yashka, and went on his way.

It was a long time ago that Bekesh had arrived in this town, which was an intricate patchwork of ethnicities. After leaving the army, he had turned to his studies, and then this radio work. He was tethered to a stake here, as the Kyrgyz say, ‘Whomever my elder brother marries, she’s my sister-in-law.’ This place kept him on an even keel, it kept him calm. He’d licked its salt and grazed its grass. He was used to the people, he was recognised by the locals.

So now, as the snow fell, his loneliness hidden under the broad brim of his felt tricorne hat, and as he dashed off towards the bus stop together with the flow of the town’s anxious citizens, he heard on one side a joyful shout, ‘Hey-y-y, Bekesh, man!’, and on the other side, a question, ‘Is that you, Bekesh?’, and elsewhere ‘Hey there, did you see that?’, spoken by yet another voice from a truck passing as softly as if it was wearing felt boots, too.

But Bekesh’s mood was sombre. There’s no dawn for an old maid, as they say, and he remembered a village in the distant mountains: the very village where death had struck his uncle. In this snow, as thick as sawdust, would any bus be going to the mountains? It was just as well that he’d borrowed money from Yashka: if the bus didn’t come, he would simply stop a car or lorry and pay the driver.

Chekbel, the village where Bekesh was born and raised, was in the same Pamir ravine as Chong Alay, in the mountains that straddled the borders of two countries. Half of the villagers were  Kyrgyz, half Tajik. This division went right through Bekesh’s family. Those born on his father’s side of the family were pure Kyrgyz from Alay, whereas the relatives on his mother’s side were Pamiri Tajiks. Probably it was because of this split that, inclined to be neither Kyrgyz or Tajik in his village, Bekesh had gone to live in this town as an adult, a place so alien to him and so mercenary. True, Bekesh’s mother, the redhead Zarina, had died when he was a child, so Bekesh was more or less left in the care of his Granny and, after his father remarried, he had remained dependent on her. When his father passed away, he grew up under the supervision of his Uncle Baisal. So now, Bekesh, who had become a townsman, was in effect journeying through the snow to bury his father. Hadn’t the dream which came to him last night been about this? Or did his dream have some other meaning?

Translated from the Uzbek by Donald Rayfield.