Teaching translation, PEN Literary Awards, and more

August 1, 2014

News, Reviews, and Interviews

Is literary translation something that can be taught? Translator Katy Derbyshire shares her thoughts on the subject and the BCLT summit.

International authors discuss their thoughts on writing in English and expanding their native literature in a recent New York Times piece.

For Words Without Borders, translator Esther Allen recently answered several questions about her work with literary translation, including her experiences with untranslatable words and her translation rituals. (To learn more about Allen, see our joint, two-part interview with her and Susan Bernofsky from July.)

This year marks the centennial of the start of World War I, and after a recent discovery, a never-before-published memoir by Béla Zombory-Moldován will bring to light Hungarian experiences throughout the war years.

Even if you weren’t able to attend this year’s International Conference on the Short Story in English, you can still read up on all the authors by purchasing the official anthology.

The 2014 PEN Literary Award winners were revealed this week, representing some of the best works of the year across multiple genres and languages.

Fun Finds and Inspiration

Tap into your natural side this summer with these ecological fiction picks from Kirkus Reviews. For even more eco-lit, make sure to check out the second part of our Booklist of International Environmental Literature.

For the American literature lovers among us, a ranking of the 100 best American novels from 1770–1985. Would you swap any?

Looking for some quick inspiration? Check out this list of some of the world’s coolest bookstores.