When things are bad, I like to read books where things are even worse. In 1516 Thomas More imagined an island with an ideal society and coined the term “utopia.” Little did he know that a few centurie…

For those fascinated by bees, birdsong, and remembering biodiversity. For the window-watchers. For the trees. Here is a collection of environmental fiction and nonfiction titles that delve into ou…

It’s time to celebrate another year of translations, and there’s plenty to celebrate. The inaugural volume of Best Literary Translations 2024 arrived, published by Deep Vellum. Reviewing it f…

For those wishing to explore the human heart and mind, for those that love to read about love, for the “hopefully” romantics: here are some throwbacks, classics, and recent releases from all aro…

In the summer of 2022 I (James Fawcett) walked from Denver to Durango on the Colorado Trail. I started the walk alone and eighteen years old, having just finished my freshman year of college. On days…

As Mother’s Day in the US approaches, we celebrate our mothers, the most incredible and important people, who have given us all tenderness and warmth since our first breath. On this special day, we ca…

In an interview up at the Booker Prizes, 2023 International Booker Prize–winning translator Angela Rodel describes the work of author and translator as a “duet.” Here we offer seventy-five duets in an…

For years, a prognostication by Johann Wolfgang von Goethe appeared on the masthead page of World Literature Today: “These journals, as they reach a wider public, will contribute most eff…

Photo by Jens Maes / Unsplash There has been plenty of handwringing among some over whether it’s too soon to write pandemic literature, but these five books answer that question with a firm n…

Photo by Debby Hudson on Unsplash February can be daunting for those unable to escape the lovestruck couples surrounding them, while others look forward to the feeling of being…

It’s time to celebrate another year of translations, and there’s plenty to celebrate. Literature from underrepresented languages moved to center stage. Tomb of Sand, written by Geetanjali S…

In celebration of Latinx/Hispanic Heritage Month (September 15–October 15), I present to you four recent books (and one to look out for) from 2022. Each of these books is written by either a Latinx…

Photo by Sofia Simon In his poem called “The Man on the Dump” (1938), Wallace Stevens writes: “Days pass like papers from a press.” Stevens, who was in his late fifties when he wrote the poem…

When the forecast for the next ten days promises afternoon highs ranging from 102 to 111 degrees, you can bet I’ll be looking for really thick books to pile high for as much shade, and diversion, as…

John Zerzan When We Are Human: Notes from the Age of Pandemics Feral House, 2021 This collection of essays by John Zerzan takes stock of the dizzying ar…

I’m planning a deep dive into the three available novels in Maja Lunde’s climate quartet, all translated from the Norwegian by Diane Oatley: The History of Bees, The En…

Photo by Mel Poole / Unsplash For those of us who put off holiday gift shopping, it can be hard to figure out what to get our loved ones in a pinch. This list offers twenty-three of…

The past year and a half of being stuck inside and working from home has led many of us to turn to our pets as consistent conversational companions. For some, we have even adopted the peculiar s…

2021 was a robust year for literary translations. This list kept growing, and we didn’t resist. As always, though, we recognize there are, thankfully, many more and hope you’ll add them in the comment…

Artists of different styles often collaborate in the creation of their work. When words and images intersect, they can come together to produce something beneficial for both learning and inspiration…

Have you read the work of the ten jurors who will be selecting the next laureate of the Neustadt Prize? (You can read more about them on the Neustadt website.) We’ve put together a short list with s…

Earlier this spring, the editors of WLT invited twenty-one writers to nominate a single book, published since the year 2000, that has had a major influence on their own work, along with…

As spring emerges and lockdown restrictions continue, here is a list of new and upcoming translated works from around the world to fill your sunny days at home.   Isabel Allende…

Earlier this spring, the editors of WLT invited twenty-one writers to nominate one book, published since the year 2000, that has had a major influence on their own work, along with a br…

Literary translation’s 2020 story is one of abundance and adaptation. Like most books published this year, dozens of new translations were published during a global pandemic. Events quickly moved fr…