Women in Translation Month raises awareness of underrepresented voices in writing and publishing by championing, first, translations from other languages into English, and, second, translations of and by women writers.
International literature offers readers a way to discover new ideas, new ways of thinking and viewing the world. Yet the reality is that the book industry heavily favours translations from English into other languages. The US-based website Three Percent, which runs a podcast, database of books in translation, and a Translated Book Award, is an incredible resource that draws attention to this issue. The website takes its name from the fact that in the United States, only 3% of all books published are works in translation. This means we are exporting our ideas and cultural paradigms to other countries and cultures at a much higher rate than we are importing alternatives. Further, of this 3%, between 2008 and 2018, only 28% were written by women. Or: 1,394 titles out of 4,849.
Women in Translation Month is more than just a head count. It’s about exposing and understanding a system that devalues cultural exchange.
Here are three recommendations for Women in Translation Month:
The Body Where I was Born and Natural Histories by Guadalupe Nettel, translated from the Spanish by J. T. Lichtenstein.
- Longlisted for the 2016 Best Translated Book Award
- Shortlisted for the 2016 Neustadt Prize
Counterpoint by Anna Enquist, translated from the Dutch Jeannette Ringold.
- Longlisted for the 2012 International IMPAC Dublin Literary Award
The Children by Ida Jessen, translated from the Danish by Don Bartlett
TAKE 25% OFF THE RRP OF OUR RECOMMENDED READS! Enter the code WITM17 at the checkout. Valid until Friday 1 September.
Share your pics, reviews, and thoughts for Women in Translation Month at #womenintranslationmonth
