August is #WIT – Women In Translation month, a long-term project hosted as always by Meytal at Bilibio. Meytal does a fab job at highlighting the widest possible range of women authors around the whole world, ensuring that we read beyond the Eurocentric publishing world of books in translation.
As always I will join in, but due to a burgeoning review pile, can’t commit to reading more than one or two books. I’ve picked out two which I hope to read, and will also include in my 20 Books of Summer. They are:
What Lots Wife Saw, translated by Yiannis Panas, will be the first book in translation by a Greek author that I have read. I’m looking forward to reading this novel which is not as biblical as you might think – instead it’s a cryptic speculative fiction mystery set in a future where Paris is now a port, and people are getting addicted to a new mineral, violet salt, which sounds rather like the spice in Dune.
The Last Children of Tokyo, translated by Margaret Mitsutani, is another dystopia. set in a Japan ravaged by climate change and disease – the old live on, the young die young. The book concerns Yoshiro, who is a centenarian, bringing up his great-grandson, Mumei – whom he worries will die.
I will also read (thanks to Fitzcarraldo Editions, Virginie Despentes’ unique brand of feminist non-fiction, King Kong Theory, published in mid-August.
I have read three other books by women in translation earlier this year… here are links to them
- The Clothing of Books by Jhumpa Lahiri – Review – A NF essay written in Italian with a complicated translation pathway.
- The Memory Police by Yoko Ogawa – Review – I’ll be rejigging this review for the paperback publication this month for Shiny New Books
- Vernon Subutex 3 by Virginie Despentes – Review – the final part in a French trilogy that will surely become classics of the future.
The Last Children of Tokyo sounds thematically fascinating. Look forward to hearing your thoughts.
I am SO keen to read King Kong – I just bought Vernon III today so will finish that trilogy first.
I’ll admit, I’m not good with feminist non-fiction usually – but I will make an exception for Despentes – whom I’m expecting to have a unique take on womens’ lives.
I get the feeling that she doesn’t really care about any one else’s opinion and will be outspoken to say the least!
There are *so* many possibilities for August – enjoy what you actually read! 😀
So admire the design of your blog and so interesting. I also have my eye on the Virginie Despentes.
Hello. Thank you so much for your kind words. The Despentes will certainly be interesting!
I only had one WIT on my TBR and it fits with my All Virago / All August theme too so I’ll be reading “There’s a Good Girl” by Marianna Grabrucker (actually a Women’s Press book but that fortunately counts).
Always good to fulfill two tags in one read.