Category: Blog

Posted on

17 Books by Women in Translation From the Arabic Language

August is Women in Translation month; a month to celebrate women whose work has been translated from languages other than English, into the English language.

This year I wanted to take some time to celebrate work by women who are typically underrepresented in the translation field.

According to a 2018 Diversity Report, this includes women who are writing in Arabic.

The Arabic language is a Semitic language which is spoken by approximately 422 million people, including those living in North Africa, the Arabian Peninsula, and other parts of the Middle East.

LitHub describe Arabic literature: “There is perhaps no other literature so closely allied to the history of its people as is that of the Arabs.”

In recent years, Arabic fiction has been receiving some much-deserved attention and celebration.

With Jokha Alharthi’s Celestial Bodies winning the International Man Booker Prize in 2019 and the International Prize for Arabic Fiction drawing more and more attention from a global audience every year; Arabic fiction could be set to be the next hot literary trend.

With that in mind, here are 17 book suggestions for women in translation from the Arabic language; to read during August and beyond.

Continue reading “17 Books by Women in Translation From the Arabic Language”
Posted on

Women in Translation | 6 Book Recommendations

The month of August marks a celebration of Women in Translation: female writers whose work has been translated into the English language.

If you don’t know where to start with looking for recommendations, I’ve compiled a list of great books I’ve read by women in translation.

I loved reading all of these and would love to put them on your radar, if you’ve not yet heard of them.

I’ve included a range of literary fiction, historical fiction and crime/mystery/thriller on this list, so hopefully you find something that piques your interest.

Continue reading “Women in Translation | 6 Book Recommendations”
Posted on

Half-Year Reading Wrap-Up | Reflections on 2020 So Far

An image of a bullet journal which says "Halfway Top Ten" and features a cup of coffee and pair of glasses in the background

What a reading year it’s been so far! As of the end of June, I’ve read 64 books. I’ve also DNF’d 48 other books (now you see why I like the library so much). DNF, if you’re not familiar, stands for ‘did not finish’.

At the start of the year, in a post on Instagram, I outlined my hopes for my reading in the year ahead.

My reading goals at the start of this year were:

  1. Read a more balanced bookshelf (gender, race and ethnicity playing a role in that).
  2. Read more translated books
  3. Slow down, focus less on numerical reading goals and place priority in the titles I really want to read
  4. Continue to support the International Dublin Literary Award

How did I do? Let’s take a look at my reading goals

Continue reading “Half-Year Reading Wrap-Up | Reflections on 2020 So Far”
Posted on

Visiting the Burial Rites Locations in Iceland

Before moving to Iceland, my partner and I were keen to read lots of books written by Icelandic authors or set in Iceland.

One such book that we both enjoyed reading was Burial Rites by Hannah Kent.

Burial Rites by Hannah Kent and The Sealwoman's Gift by Sally Magnusson laying upon a table by a sun lounger, next to a pool in Greece.

Burial Rites tells the story of Agnes Magnusdottir, a young woman accused of the murder of Natan Ketilsson, which took place at a remote farm in 1829.

Agnes is placed at a different remote farm during the trial. She is housed, rather reluctantly, by a local family as she faces the final days leading up to her execution.

There is great mystery in the book regarding whether or not Agnes actually committed the murder and, as the story unravels, we learn more about what happened on the night in question.

While it is not known exactly what happened on that night, in Burial Rites, Hannah Kent imagines what may have happened. By doing so, she invites us to consider the life lived by Agnes and the circumstances leading up to her execution.

Continue reading “Visiting the Burial Rites Locations in Iceland”
Posted on

May Reading Wrap Up

During the month of May, I took part in a reading challenge we called #PagesforPeriods to raise money for the charity Bloody Good Period.

The aim was to read 100 pages a day for 26 days, inspired by the 2.6 challenge.

I closed out the month having read 13 books, 4,518 pages. As a collective, we raised over £2,500 and it’s one of my proudest achievements since joining the book community.

Here’s what I read throughout the month:

Continue reading “May Reading Wrap Up”
Posted on

Diversity in Publishing: How the Book Community Can Have Influence

I want to start by saying that I stand in solidarity with the Black Lives Matter movement.

I’m glad that a spotlight is being shone on both the blatant and structural racism that exists within our societies.

I also want to urge the book community to continue to speak out about the injustices inherent in our societies, and I would like to encourage each and every one of us to think about how we might use our platforms for good.

Continue reading “Diversity in Publishing: How the Book Community Can Have Influence”