Found in translation: It was serependipitous that, in the week that saw the announcement of an International Impac Dublin Literary Award shortlist that was, this year, noticeably short on fiction in translation, the shortlist for the Independent Foreign Fiction Prize 2009 was also announced.
It consists of two novels from Colombia, The Armiesby Evelio Rosero (Maclehose Press) and The Informersby Juan Gabriel Vasquez (below), both translated by Anne McLean from the Spanish (Bloomsbury); The Voiceoverby Celine Curiol, a new voice from France, translated by Sam Richard from the French (Faber); Beijing Comaby exiled Chinese writer Ma Jian, translated by Flora Drew from the Chinese (Chatto); and Friendly Fireby AB Yehoshua, translated by Stuart Schoffman from the Hebrew (Halban). Also on the list is The Siegeby expatriate Albanian novelist Ismail Kadare, translated by David Bellos from the Albanian (Canongate) – the writer's 19th novel to be translated into English.
The list was announced by Arts Council England, the director of whose Literature Strategy initiative, Antonia Byatt, described it as a fantastic demonstration of the rich range and quality of fiction in translation being published in Britain today. “It’s wonderful to see so many languages represented on the shortlist – these books provide a unique window on the world and a real feast for all lovers of fiction.”½ Boyd Tonkin, literary editor of the London-based Independent and chair of the judging panel, said that 126 books were submitted for the prize, translated from 25 languages.
The award, run in association with Champagne Taittinger, is for a work of fiction by a living author which has been translated into English from any other language and published in the UK in the last year. The novelist and the translator are recognised equally, to acknowledge the importance of the latter in bridging the gap between languages and cultures. The winner will be announced on May 14th at an awards ceremony in London, with the winning author and translator each getting £5,000 and a limited-edition magnum of Champagne Taittinger.
West Cork line-up
Annie Proulx (below), Louis de Bernières and Jennifer Johnston are among the writers lined up for this year's West Cork Literary Festival which runs from July 5th to 11th. Novelist, historian and political campaigner Tariq Ali will present a seminar on History as Fiction/Fiction as History, and there'll be various workshops, including ones with Billy Roche on writing for the stage and John McKenna on food writing.
See westcorkliterary festival.ie.
The creative edge
The Galway Over The Edge organisation is now open for submissions to its New Writer of the Year creative writing competition 2009.The field is open to poets and fiction writers. There’s €300 each for the best fiction entry and the best poetry entry; one of these will then be chosen as the overall winner and receive an additional €400 and the title Over The Edge New Writer of The Year 2009. The writer will also give a reading in Galway City library in Winter 2009/2010.
The judge is Patrick Chapman, poet, fiction writer and screenwriter. The closing date is Monday, August 3rd, and the winners will be announced at the Over The Edge reading in Galway City Library on Thursday, September 24th. http://overtheedgeliteraryevents.blogspot.com
