1. Vagabonds - Hao Jingfang 2. There's No Such Things As An Easy Job- Kikuko Tsumura 3. Theatre of War - Andrea Jeftanovic 4. Flights- Olga Tokarczuk 5. Here be Icebergs - Katya Adaui 6. The Wind That Lays Waste - Selva Almada 7. Solo Dance - Li Kotomi 8. Magma - Thora Hjorleifsdottir 9. The Faculty of Dreams - Sara Stridsberg 10. Cursed Bunny 11. The Collection - Nina Legar 12. The Sea Clock and Other Stories - Nayrouz Qarmout 13. The Wandering - Intan Paramaditha
brazilian literature is so rich, especially when we talk about contemporary women authors. english-only readers are missing out honestly (especially because our books don't get translated oftenly).
Yes! I’ve recommended before but here it goes again: check out the new translation of ‘The Posthumous Memoirs of Brás Cubas’ by Machado De Assis, translated by Flora Thomson-Deveaux. I gifted it to my French boss (not this one but a French translation of it) and he loved it! Flora is a great translator and knows a lot of Brazilian culture. Im Brazilian and even I want to read her work to see how it came out! I also recommend Eça de Queiroz (Portugal but Portuguese language literature). He was a contemporary of Emile Zola who admired him a lot (but Machado didn’t lol). Those are classics, but Clarice Lispector would be a good pick for you too!
Thank you for making this!! Willow, you’re the reason I now love translated literature! I LOVED a previous recommendation of yours, My Pen is the Wing of a Bird. That’s probably my favorite at the moment. I’m really interested in the Sea Cloak and The Wind That Lays Waste
I'm still starting out my reading journey, but my favorite Women in Translation book I've read has got to be Shoko's Smile by Choi Eunyoung, translated by Sung Ryu. It's a short story collection, but all the stories explored a similar theme and it was the first (and only) time I cried while reading a book. P.S. I added a few of your recommendations to my TBR. So excited to read them.
Love your recs.I've read stories "Apple and Knife" by Intan Paramadita apart from "The Wandering". More horrifying in a good way with all Indonesian myths and tales in it. Loveeee it!
Loved your introduction to all the women in translation books. You thoughts on family and how they influence children based on their past experiences rang a bell. When at teachers' college I was selected to be the children's presenter on t.v. (my father said t.v. will not last!!)
Having discovered your channel recently, I have binge-watched both your older and latest videos. My general rule is to avoid reading books that are currently popular since some of them tend to be overrated. Therefore, I appreciate you reading and recommending such a diverse selection of books, as well as introducing me to great international writers I would otherwise miss! Thanks for sharing this great content with us, and I hope your channel continues to grow and receive the recognition it deserves :)
Thank you for the wonderful recommendations! This year I’m definitely picking up The Sea Cloak and Other Stories, as it’s been in my TBR for some time now. If you were moved by it and want to read more Palestinian lit, you definitely need to check out Susan Abulhawa. She writes in English, but you’ll never be the same after.
I've just finished reading Empuzjon (“a naturopathic horror story”) by Olga Tokarczuk. I highly recommend you look into it if/when the translation comes out. The language is so beautiful and the topic (on purpose of course) so reminiscent of Mann's The Magic Mountain. With oneiric, magical realismlike vibe.
I read The Wandering today based on this video and HOLY HELL I was very surprised at how much I enjoyed it! I really enjoyed that the book seemed to be designed to be gone through multiple times so there would be moments of deja vu of seeing things crop up in places you don't expect, but the moment that had me by the throat was when I read the Yvette ending after having already got the Fernando ending and making that connection. I love that no 2 people will experience it the same because everyone will play the story in a different order. I literally spent 6 hours today going through trying to get all the endings and still didn't get them all (I accidentally saw one about the Netherlands and one on a subway when my ereader decided to not do what it was told, let me know if those are particularly good ones and I might try again to get them)
I noticed Andrea Jeftanović on your list. While she is a Chilean author, her family is from Bosnia and Herzegovina (my home country). I did some googling and her family's history is tied with the country's history. In the 19th century her great-grandfather opened the famous hotel Europe in Sarajevo. So that's a cool fun fact! Anyway, that was so off topic 😅. I love your video as always. Much love xx
I haven't read El viento que arrasa but I adored Almada's No es un río so I'm trusting your judgement and taking a couple of recommendations from here! All these books sound super interesting, I'm excited to check them out.
Loving this list! I always find great international titles in your videos! Some of my favorites that I don't see mentioned online a lot are: "It Would be Night in Caracas" by Karina Sainz Borgo (Venezuela), "The Disaster Tourist" by Ko-Eun Yun (South Korea), "1000 Coils of Fear" by Olivia Wenzel (Germany), "The Creator" by Guðrun Eva Mínervudóttir (Iceland), "Fauna"' by Christiane Vadnais (French-Canadian), "Winter in Sokcho" by Elisa Shua Dusapin (France) and "Jawbone" by Mónica Ojeda (Ecuador). And maybe an honorary non-fiction mention with "The Day Nina Simone Stopped Singing" by Darina Al-Joundi (Lebanon).
I am surprised and glad you chose three Latin-American authors! I’ve never read a Spanish book in English and after your review I’ll give it a try. Thanks!
As a Belgian I'll recommend a Belgian book by a woman available in translation: The Melting by Lize Spit. All about a young woman who has a high school reunion coming up and is traveling there with a block of ice in her trunk. The novel follows her as she's making her way to that reunion and meanwhile were reminiscing about her youth.
I’m still pretty new to reading, but I’ve read this book called when I sing, mountains dance by Irene solà, it’s a beautiful book. It’s the book that has moved me so much, and I was so deep into the narrative that I just didn’t know when it ended. It’s the best piece of fiction I’ve EVER read, would recommend that as well!
Always excited to see more people talk about Vagabonds, so underrated!! And really interested in some of the other books you mentioned, thanks for the recommendations!
I would really want you guys to read Tomb of Sand. It's by an Indian writer Gitanjali Shree. And it's translated by Daisy Rockwell. It's originally written in Hindi and the writer got International Booker for the book recently. It deals with the psychological scars left behind by the partition of India. I think this book is really worthy of being read on the WIT Month
Hey my friend do you remember me? I know you have others who comment on your videos but I was that guy who used to always (or at least try) to comment on your videos! By the way you have a lot more books than I do, and I've been reading a ton lately.
Great list! I've read three of the books, one being There's No Such Thing as an Easy Job, and loved it! Looking forward to reading more of your recommendations.
@@WillowTalksBooks Ngl every time you say smth that is about your time working in education I'm like 'oof i felt that' especially as I also work in the English department (I'm a TA). I have changed jobs recently though and my new workplace is MUCH BETTER at looking after its staff though
I love the recommendations here. I love Cursed Bunny so much and will pick up anything Anton Hur translates. The way you've described There's no such Thing as an Easy Job speaks to me so much and it's probably high time that I take it off mu shelves to read. Thanks for the other recs, gonna have to share this video! X
I read Cursed Bunny for WIT month last year and loved it. I've been thinking about it quite a bit recently so feels like the prefect time for a re-read
Great selection Willow, I have bought a couple and enjoyed the video, thank you. Would add in as a rec Adania Shibli’s great little novella Minor Detail, published by Fitzcarraldo in the UK, a fantastic work of Palestinian lit.
Wow Vagabonds sounds like my kind of book!! I've hold of Olga Tokarczuk's other work, but I'd never heard of Flights. Ooh The Wind That Lays Waste sounds excellent! Solo Dance sounds like something I absolutely must read. That Faculty of Dreams book sounds good too! Oh and I've been meaning to read Cursed Bunny for a while now! I love French literature, the Collection sounds weird and wonderful!! Wow there were so many great recommendations in this video, thank you!!
I love reading translated books by women. At the moment I am reading There's No Such Thing As An Easy job and enjoying it. And I found the audiobook for Magma in the Libby app so I will be checking that out. Some of my most favorite translated books are Like Water for Chocolate by Laura Esquivel, Girls Against God by Jenny Hval, An Elderly Lady Is Up To No Good by Helene Tursten and The Little Old Lady Who Broke All the Rules by Catharina Ingelman-Sundberg. Oh and I forgot to bring this up when I mentioned it in another comment, but In Defense of Witches is translated from French. Also been reading to read another nonfiction book titled But You Don't Look Autistic At All by Bianca Toeps. You're one of my favorite sources for translated books. Thanks very much for promoting good books. 💚
Another observation is that being from Brazil and having lived in Europe and the US, it’s very interesting to see translated literature being celebrated overseas since most of the books people have are “local” or written in English while here we actually have to do the opposite which is celebrate our own literature since most of the best seller are actually translated 🤔 English and Russian classics are huge and contemporary American fantasy, YA. I know classics will always have a hard time with young readers because of it’s mandatory reading in school but even within adults we tend to celebrate international literature more often.
Thank you for all these recommendations. You are a treasure for translated work. I have incidently finish one just few days ago. Maybe not for everyone, but if anyone loves words and language, please have a look at "The Great Passage" by Shion Miura. It is about a team in a publishing house trying to put a dictionary together. It is funny, lighthearted, very informative, and the prose is just georgous. A truly MASSIVE shout out to the translator Juliet Winters Carpenter because this novel needed extra work imo.
Thank you what a great list. I’ve got a pile to read for WIT and will be adding to it. I always appreciate your knowledge of translated literature. 2 I recently enjoyed Were, The Liquid Land by Raphaela Edelbauer translated by Jen Calleja ( I think you recommended it). The Great Passage by Shion Miura translated by. Juliet Winters Carpenter. Two of my all time favorites are The Discomfort of Evening Marieke Lucas Rijneveld translated by Michele Hutchison. Drive Your Plow Over The Bones of The Dead by Olga Tokarczuk translated by Antonia Lloyd-Jones.
Every time I see someone praise Cursed Bunny it makes my day!!🙌🏾🐇 And woooow loved these recommendations, will be adding many to my TBR! I was wondering if you've come across any good sub-Saharan African translated fiction?? As this is something I'm struggling to find!!😊
I have the Tsumura book and really want to read it (though the length keeps putting me off, eh) I need to get The Collection, Cursed Bunny and Solo Dance someday. Especially the first one tbh, I wish there were more non-erotica/romance books that talk about kink.
What makes me really sad us that teachers work seems to be respected less and less everywhere. It's not only UK. Being Polish and living in France boh countries have the same problem. Maybe, as we comment quite often in context of our populist extreme right government in Poland It's easier to controle uneducated, thoughtless mass.
@@happyreally90 yeah I had the unfortunet feeling it's general. It's such a important job though. Same for the medical staff both underpaid, overworked and underapreciated.
I have a love and hate relationship with Asian lit. I know it’s your thing and I take notes of all your recs but there’s something about the simplicity of most of the few I read that I still don’t know yet whether I like it or not.
1. Vagabonds - Hao Jingfang
2. There's No Such Things As An Easy Job- Kikuko Tsumura
3. Theatre of War - Andrea Jeftanovic
4. Flights- Olga Tokarczuk
5. Here be Icebergs - Katya Adaui
6. The Wind That Lays Waste - Selva Almada
7. Solo Dance - Li Kotomi
8. Magma - Thora Hjorleifsdottir
9. The Faculty of Dreams - Sara Stridsberg
10. Cursed Bunny
11. The Collection - Nina Legar
12. The Sea Clock and Other Stories - Nayrouz Qarmout
13. The Wandering - Intan Paramaditha
brazilian literature is so rich, especially when we talk about contemporary women authors. english-only readers are missing out honestly (especially because our books don't get translated oftenly).
Yeah Brazilian lit is a real blind spot for me!
Yes! I’ve recommended before but here it goes again: check out the new translation of ‘The Posthumous Memoirs of Brás Cubas’ by Machado De Assis, translated by Flora Thomson-Deveaux. I gifted it to my French boss (not this one but a French translation of it) and he loved it! Flora is a great translator and knows a lot of Brazilian culture. Im Brazilian and even I want to read her work to see how it came out!
I also recommend Eça de Queiroz (Portugal but Portuguese language literature). He was a contemporary of Emile Zola who admired him a lot (but Machado didn’t lol).
Those are classics, but Clarice Lispector would be a good pick for you too!
Love the bookshelf behind you!
Haha thanks, it’s not mine 😅
As an emigrant living in the UK for 11 years and longing to move back home I can't wait to read Flights. Thanm you for the recommendations!
Flights is a very romantic book for those of us who travel and migrate
Thank you for making this!! Willow, you’re the reason I now love translated literature! I LOVED a previous recommendation of yours, My Pen is the Wing of a Bird. That’s probably my favorite at the moment. I’m really interested in the Sea Cloak and The Wind That Lays Waste
Oh I’m flattered, thank you! I actually regretted not putting My Pen on this list! I’ll add it to the written article :)
I'm still starting out my reading journey, but my favorite Women in Translation book I've read has got to be Shoko's Smile by Choi Eunyoung, translated by Sung Ryu. It's a short story collection, but all the stories explored a similar theme and it was the first (and only) time I cried while reading a book.
P.S. I added a few of your recommendations to my TBR. So excited to read them.
I don’t think I ever got to Shoko’s Smile. Thanks for reminding me!
Love your recs.I've read stories "Apple and Knife" by Intan Paramadita apart from "The Wandering". More horrifying in a good way with all Indonesian myths and tales in it. Loveeee it!
Cursed Bunny is the best book I’ve read all year. Flights is also one if my all time favourite books!!! This is a great list!
You have absolutely brilliant taste! 💜
Fantastic and informative video. Thank you!
You’re very welcome!
Loved your introduction to all the women in translation books. You thoughts on family and how they influence children based on their past experiences rang a bell. When at teachers' college I was selected to be the children's presenter on t.v. (my father said t.v. will not last!!)
I adore that you always talk about books that I often do not see elsewhere on the booktube 😍
Haha thanks, I don’t watch a lot of booktube myself but that might be why 😅
Having discovered your channel recently, I have binge-watched both your older and latest videos. My general rule is to avoid reading books that are currently popular since some of them tend to be overrated. Therefore, I appreciate you reading and recommending such a diverse selection of books, as well as introducing me to great international writers I would otherwise miss! Thanks for sharing this great content with us, and I hope your channel continues to grow and receive the recognition it deserves :)
This is all so sweet and kind of you to say, thank you!
Thank you for the wonderful recommendations! This year I’m definitely picking up The Sea Cloak and Other Stories, as it’s been in my TBR for some time now. If you were moved by it and want to read more Palestinian lit, you definitely need to check out Susan Abulhawa. She writes in English, but you’ll never be the same after.
Oh yay thank you for the recommendation!!
I've just finished reading Empuzjon (“a naturopathic horror story”) by Olga Tokarczuk. I highly recommend you look into it if/when the translation comes out. The language is so beautiful and the topic (on purpose of course) so reminiscent of Mann's The Magic Mountain. With oneiric, magical realismlike vibe.
Thank you for the inspiration. Made a display in our library this afternoon! And it looks very interesting!
That’s amazing, thank you!!
Thank you for mentioning Tokarczuk by the way 😁😘😘😘
Oh she’s a legend!
Thank you for these fantastic recommendations Willow! Translation holds a special place in my heart 🥰
Of course! A very large place in both our hearts 😊
I read The Wandering today based on this video and HOLY HELL I was very surprised at how much I enjoyed it! I really enjoyed that the book seemed to be designed to be gone through multiple times so there would be moments of deja vu of seeing things crop up in places you don't expect, but the moment that had me by the throat was when I read the Yvette ending after having already got the Fernando ending and making that connection. I love that no 2 people will experience it the same because everyone will play the story in a different order. I literally spent 6 hours today going through trying to get all the endings and still didn't get them all (I accidentally saw one about the Netherlands and one on a subway when my ereader decided to not do what it was told, let me know if those are particularly good ones and I might try again to get them)
The Tsumura novel sounds like my life, putting it onto the TBR along with Flights.
Haha yeah I related to both of these books for different reasons
I noticed Andrea Jeftanović on your list. While she is a Chilean author, her family is from Bosnia and Herzegovina (my home country). I did some googling and her family's history is tied with the country's history. In the 19th century her great-grandfather opened the famous hotel Europe in Sarajevo. So that's a cool fun fact! Anyway, that was so off topic 😅. I love your video as always. Much love xx
That’s very informative thank you so much!
I haven't read El viento que arrasa but I adored Almada's No es un río so I'm trusting your judgement and taking a couple of recommendations from here! All these books sound super interesting, I'm excited to check them out.
Loving this list! I always find great international titles in your videos!
Some of my favorites that I don't see mentioned online a lot are: "It Would be Night in Caracas" by Karina Sainz Borgo (Venezuela), "The Disaster Tourist" by Ko-Eun Yun (South Korea), "1000 Coils of Fear" by Olivia Wenzel (Germany), "The Creator" by Guðrun Eva Mínervudóttir (Iceland), "Fauna"' by Christiane Vadnais (French-Canadian), "Winter in Sokcho" by Elisa Shua Dusapin (France) and "Jawbone" by Mónica Ojeda (Ecuador). And maybe an honorary non-fiction mention with "The Day Nina Simone Stopped Singing" by Darina Al-Joundi (Lebanon).
I’ve read and loved some of these, and can’t wait to check out others! Especially 1000 Coils of Fear and The Creator. Thank you!
I love your reviews. They open up my mind to different great genres/books I would have normally missed out on.
That’s so so lovely to hear, and I’m thrilled, thank you!
I am surprised and glad you chose three Latin-American authors! I’ve never read a Spanish book in English and after your review I’ll give it a try. Thanks!
Yeah I’m a huge fan of Latin American literature, especially from Argentina!
I hope you do a video abt nordic books, I've read some and enjoyed it 😊
I have some articles already but I’ll do a video soon!
As a Belgian I'll recommend a Belgian book by a woman available in translation: The Melting by Lize Spit. All about a young woman who has a high school reunion coming up and is traveling there with a block of ice in her trunk. The novel follows her as she's making her way to that reunion and meanwhile were reminiscing about her youth.
eee!!! I am very excited about all of these to be honest
Oh that’s great news, yay!
I’m still pretty new to reading, but I’ve read this book called when I sing, mountains dance by Irene solà, it’s a beautiful book. It’s the book that has moved me so much, and I was so deep into the narrative that I just didn’t know when it ended. It’s the best piece of fiction I’ve EVER read, would recommend that as well!
Thank you for all the wonderful recommendations. ❤️
You are very very welcome!
Always excited to see more people talk about Vagabonds, so underrated!! And really interested in some of the other books you mentioned, thanks for the recommendations!
Yeah Vagabonds is a real sci-fi masterpiece!
I would really want you guys to read Tomb of Sand. It's by an Indian writer Gitanjali Shree. And it's translated by Daisy Rockwell. It's originally written in Hindi and the writer got International Booker for the book recently. It deals with the psychological scars left behind by the partition of India. I think this book is really worthy of being read on the WIT Month
Hey my friend do you remember me? I know you have others who comment on your videos but I was that guy who used to always (or at least try) to comment on your videos! By the way you have a lot more books than I do, and I've been reading a ton lately.
Great list! I've read three of the books, one being There's No Such Thing as an Easy Job, and loved it! Looking forward to reading more of your recommendations.
Hooray! Check out the article in the description for more :)
Just finished Concerning my Daughter and loved it! Starting the Dangers of Smoking in Bed! 😊
"my job mattered but my time and labour were not respected" As a person working in education in the UK PEAK MOOD
Oh god I am so so sorry!
@@WillowTalksBooks Ngl every time you say smth that is about your time working in education I'm like 'oof i felt that' especially as I also work in the English department (I'm a TA). I have changed jobs recently though and my new workplace is MUCH BETTER at looking after its staff though
I love the recommendations here. I love Cursed Bunny so much and will pick up anything Anton Hur translates. The way you've described There's no such Thing as an Easy Job speaks to me so much and it's probably high time that I take it off mu shelves to read. Thanks for the other recs, gonna have to share this video! X
Anton is an absolute here! Love him to bits.
I read Cursed Bunny for WIT month last year and loved it. I've been thinking about it quite a bit recently so feels like the prefect time for a re-read
Yep it’s been a year for me too and I still think about it all the time
Great selection Willow, I have bought a couple and enjoyed the video, thank you. Would add in as a rec Adania Shibli’s great little novella Minor Detail, published by Fitzcarraldo in the UK, a fantastic work of Palestinian lit.
Thanks for reminding me! I meant to pick that up last year!
Wow Vagabonds sounds like my kind of book!! I've hold of Olga Tokarczuk's other work, but I'd never heard of Flights. Ooh The Wind That Lays Waste sounds excellent! Solo Dance sounds like something I absolutely must read. That Faculty of Dreams book sounds good too! Oh and I've been meaning to read Cursed Bunny for a while now! I love French literature, the Collection sounds weird and wonderful!! Wow there were so many great recommendations in this video, thank you!!
Hahaha I love this play-by-play of the video. Amazing reactions, thank you!
Fab selection of books Willow. Thank you.
Thanks for watching and enjoying, Simon!
I recommend The Dangers of Smoking in Bed by Argentinian writer Mariana Enriquez. I think you’ll love her.
I love that book. Talked about it a lot in other videos and articles
I love reading translated books by women. At the moment I am reading There's No Such Thing As An Easy job and enjoying it. And I found the audiobook for Magma in the Libby app so I will be checking that out. Some of my most favorite translated books are Like Water for Chocolate by Laura Esquivel, Girls Against God by Jenny Hval, An Elderly Lady Is Up To No Good by Helene Tursten and The Little Old Lady Who Broke All the Rules by Catharina Ingelman-Sundberg. Oh and I forgot to bring this up when I mentioned it in another comment, but In Defense of Witches is translated from French. Also been reading to read another nonfiction book titled But You Don't Look Autistic At All by Bianca Toeps.
You're one of my favorite sources for translated books. Thanks very much for promoting good books. 💚
Another observation is that being from Brazil and having lived in Europe and the US, it’s very interesting to see translated literature being celebrated overseas since most of the books people have are “local” or written in English while here we actually have to do the opposite which is celebrate our own literature since most of the best seller are actually translated 🤔
English and Russian classics are huge and contemporary American fantasy, YA.
I know classics will always have a hard time with young readers because of it’s mandatory reading in school but even within adults we tend to celebrate international literature more often.
Thank you for all these recommendations. You are a treasure for translated work.
I have incidently finish one just few days ago. Maybe not for everyone, but if anyone loves words and language, please have a look at "The Great Passage" by Shion Miura. It is about a team in a publishing house trying to put a dictionary together.
It is funny, lighthearted, very informative, and the prose is just georgous. A truly MASSIVE shout out to the translator Juliet Winters Carpenter because this novel needed extra work imo.
Thank you what a great list. I’ve got a pile to read for WIT and will be adding to it. I always appreciate your knowledge of translated literature. 2 I recently enjoyed Were, The Liquid Land by Raphaela Edelbauer translated by Jen Calleja ( I think you recommended it). The Great Passage by Shion Miura translated by. Juliet Winters Carpenter. Two of my all time favorites are The Discomfort of Evening Marieke Lucas Rijneveld translated by Michele Hutchison. Drive Your Plow Over The Bones of The Dead by Olga Tokarczuk translated by Antonia Lloyd-Jones.
i wish i was as articulate as you to talk about books and make people want to read them, like i feel when i watch your videos
Anyone can be! I have no specific skills
Every time I see someone praise Cursed Bunny it makes my day!!🙌🏾🐇 And woooow loved these recommendations, will be adding many to my TBR! I was wondering if you've come across any good sub-Saharan African translated fiction?? As this is something I'm struggling to find!!😊
I haven’t personally but one of our guest writers put together this list last year: booksandbao.com/african-books-by-women-in-translation/
@@WillowTalksBooks Thank you so much!!😊😊
I have the Tsumura book and really want to read it (though the length keeps putting me off, eh) I need to get The Collection, Cursed Bunny and Solo Dance someday. Especially the first one tbh, I wish there were more non-erotica/romance books that talk about kink.
Very good point! It’s a kinky book but not an erotic one
What makes me really sad us that teachers work seems to be respected less and less everywhere. It's not only UK. Being Polish and living in France boh countries have the same problem. Maybe, as we comment quite often in context of our populist extreme right government in Poland It's easier to controle uneducated, thoughtless mass.
Yeah teachers are far from respected, while they work tirelessly to shape future generations. How tragic
The same attitude exists in Australia. Overworked and under appreciated which is extremely disappointing
@@happyreally90 yeah I had the unfortunet feeling it's general. It's such a important job though. Same for the medical staff both underpaid, overworked and underapreciated.
Also do you speak እማርኛ?
I have a love and hate relationship with Asian lit. I know it’s your thing and I take notes of all your recs but there’s something about the simplicity of most of the few I read that I still don’t know yet whether I like it or not.