Giving Away Stacks of Books in Translation

One of the persistent, nagging facts about American reading habits is how we read very few books in translation. America’s general isolationism, the relatively few books in translation available, the challenge of promoting authors who live very far away, and the intense competition for our attention (including from amazing, wonderful, talented American authors) all combine to keep our reading relatively domestic. But I think it’s getting better. International superstars, like Elena Ferrante, Karl Ove Knausgaard, and Marie Kondo have opened up many readers to the wider world of books. And smaller publishers, like Deep Vellum and Restless Books, focusing on works in translation are popping up, joining publishers like Archipelago, New Directions, Norton, Other Press, New York Review of Books Classics, and others who make publishing works in translation a priority.

Personally, I love to read books in translation. In some ways, what we think is guided, driven, even limited, by the language with which we think. You could say that someone who writes in French or Japanese or Arabic or any other language other than English, thinks differently from how I think. In a way then, not only are works in translation an opportunity to encounter foreign places, strange experiences, and unfamiliar people, they are chances to interact with someone with an entirely different mindset. Furthermore, the relationship between language and storytelling can be different as well, so you will see plots and characters and even sentences and turns of phrase in translated books that you would never seen in English books. In my work as a bookseller, I try to be an advocate for works in translation by recommending books and introducing readers to authors. I know there are plenty of other advocates out there.

So, as a thank you to all translation advocates out there, and to give you more material, we’re giving away four (count ‘em, FOUR!) stacks of works in translation, from all over the world and a variety of publishers. You can give them to your friends and family, use them as party favors, and/or read them yourself before passing them on. Think of these a bunch of starters for a sourdough. The delicious, delicious sourdough of translation.

For your chance to win, send an email to josh@portersquarebooks.com with a short essay (less than 250 words) about why you read works in translation by Tuesday March 22. We’ll share the answers in a follow-up post and randomly select four winners.