9 Books to Read for Women in Translation Month
Did you know that August is Women in Translation Month? If you’re wondering what that means, let me explain. Women in Translation Month is a month to highlight translated works by female writers. In the world of literary translation, women are seriously underrepresented.
How underrepresented? You’re probably familiar with the statistic that only about 3% of published works in the US and the UK are translated from other languages. Well, of that 3%, only about 30% of new translations into English are books by women writers. Books by female authors are translated at a lower rate around the world, even in Europe.
With that in mind, here are 9 books to read for women in translation month. Read the ones that pique your interest and you’ll soon start to wonder what else you’re missing out on!
Kalpa Imperial: The Greatest Empire That Never Was
Author: Angélica Gorodischer, translated by Ursula LeGuin
In a 2016 interview, Meytal Radzinski, the scholar behind Women in Translation Month, called this book her “go-to first choice for just about any type of favorite book these days! It’s such a special book, gorgeously written and so utterly magical.”
Kalpa Imperial: The Greatest Empire That Never Was is the history of an imaginary nameless empire, as told by multiple storytellers. Translator Ursula Le Guin is an acclaimed fantasy author in her own right. So it’s not surprising that publisher Small Beer Press boasts that “Rarely have author and translator been such an effortless pairing.” Read more