August is Women in Translation Month, and to celebrate, the team at LEaF have decided to share our favourite translated women writers.
What is Women in Translation Month?
Women in Translation Month is a yearly celebration of women writers and translators and how they have shaped the world of translated literature. It is held in the month of August, and was devised by book blogger, Mel Radzinkski.
Our team’s favourite translated women authors & books by them
We spoke to some of the talented team at LEaF Translations about their favourite translated books, what’s on their ‘to be read’ pile, and the translated books (by women) that they would recommend.
Lucy Pembayun
What is your favourite translated book by a woman author?
I recently read The Phone Box At The Edge of the World by Laura Imai Messina and translated into English by Lucy Rand. The original was written in Italian but the book is deeply rooted in Japan.
What makes it so good a read and why would you recommend it?
The book is based on a true story about a phone box that people visit from far and wide to talk to their loved ones who have passed away. The story centres around Yui, who lost her mother and daughter in the tsunami that hit Japan, and tackles the topic of dealing with loss beautifully. Although there is a lot of sadness in the book, it is also uplifting and so well written (and translated!), it is a real pleasure to read.
Which other translated book by a woman author is on your reading list?
A colleague and fellow German to English translator, Kristal Fellinger, recently recommended a book to me called The Forest of Wool and Steel by Natsu Miyashita (translated into English by Philip Gabriel). Apparently it deals with questions that come up when you are trying to excel at your work: Am I good enough? How do you deliver perfect work when there is no objective measure of perfect? Questions that are all too familiar for us translators! Kristal also assures me it is beautifully written and a really enjoyable read. It is currently sitting at the top of my (rather large) pile of books to read and I can’t wait to get started on it!
Birgit Obermueller
What is your favourite translated book by a woman author?
I have two books I really like and enjoyed reading:
1) ‘Der Zopf’ by Laetitia Colombani (original title: La Tresse; publisher: Editions Grasset & Fasquelle, Paris 2017 ) translated from French into German by Claudia Marquardt; German edition 2018 S. Fischer Verlag GmbH, Frankfurt
2) ‘Meine Geniale Freundin’ by Elena Ferrante (original title: L’amica geniale; publisher: Edizioni e/o, Rome 2011) translated from Italian into German by Karin Krieger; German edition 2016 Suhrkamp Verlag Berlin
What makes them such good reads and why would you recommend them?
1) ‘Der Zopf’ tells the life story of three women, living in three different continents at different stages in their lives, each with their own struggles and hopes who are all connected by one plait of hair, donated by one of them. A very moving, honest and touching novel. It is truly fascinating how three completely different lives can be interconnected like this. Made me think how my own life or a little part of it could have affected somebody far away.
2) ‘Meine Geniale Freundin’ tells the story of two friends, spanning from the childhood of the two girls, who grew up in Naples in the 1950s, into adulthood. What struck me was that they were both trapped in their own different social circumstances and customs yet managed to sustain this friendship over years and almost decades, despite having very different personalities and character traits.
Which other translated book by a woman author is on your reading list?
‘Alles Zerfällt’ by Chinua Achebe (original title: Things Fall Apart; publisher: Heinemann, London 1958) translated from English into German by Uda Strätling; German edition 2013 Fischer Verlag GmbH Frankfurt
Can you recommend a book written by a woman author in German that has been translated into English?
1) ‘The End of Days’ by Jenny Erpenbeck (original Title: Aller Tage Abend; publisher: Knaus Verlag 2012) translated by Susan Bernofsky 2014 by New Directions (won a translator’s prize and was nominated for a couple of more)
2) Original title: ‘Frida Kahlo und die Farben des Lebens’ by Caroline Bernard – there seem to be translations into Spanish, Portuguese, Swedish and Romanian, but unfortunately not into English (yet!).
Laurence Echasserieau
What is your favourite translated book by a woman author?
One of my favourite books by a woman that has been translated is a novel by a Japanese author, Ito Ogawa.
It is entitled Tsubaki Bunguten, “La papeterie Tsubaki” (Tsubaki stationary store) in French and is not currently available in English.
What makes it so good a read and why would you recommend it?
It depicts life in a stationery shop in Kamakura where the heroine, Hatoko, is a scribe. It explores the codes of Japanese calligraphy and through letters enables he reader to learn about Japanese society. I was not familiar at all with Japan and it was an amazing discovery.
Which other translated book by a woman author is on your reading list?
As for a book I would like to read, I would definitely say “I am an island” by Tamsin Calidas, translated by Caroline Bouet. It is about moving from London to start a new life on a Hebridean island.
Lindsay Tol
What is your favourite translated book by a woman author?
The Island by Victoria Hislop is one of my favourite translated books by a woman author.
What makes it so good a read and why would you recommend it?
I’d have to admit: I don’t think it’s one of the best books ever written, but I did enjoy it a lot. I was staying on Crete when I read it, and the novel is set on the island of Spinalonga, off the coast of Crete. It tells a story about the time that the island was Greece’s leper colony, not that long ago. It’s a tragic story based on true events, which makes it even more shocking. I love Greece and I love Crete, and reading the book made me feel even more passionate about the place.
Which other translated book by a woman author is on your reading list?
I don’t have another specific book by a woman author that is on my reading list, but I do like psychological thrillers a lot, so I will probably be reading more books by Karin Slaughter in the near future. As I have always read books in English, I don’t know any Dutch woman authors to recommend.
Yukari Tanji
What is your favourite translated book by a woman author?
My favourite book would be Eat Pray Love by Elizabeth Gilbert.
What makes it so good a read and why would you recommend it?
It’s a cliché favourite book but the book is very inspiring how a woman in her 30’s can have life changing trips in foreign countries. Though she’s brave to embark on trips to 3 countries, she shares her vulnerability in such an introspective way that any woman can relate.
Which other translated book by a woman author is on your reading list?
Bird, Isabella L. (1879). Unbeaten Tracks in Japan: Travels of a Lady in the Interior of Japan
It’s a non fiction book consisting of letters written by a woman British explorer in the late 1800s. It’s translated in Japanese and as a Japanese person, I wanted to know how a rich British woman from the time saw Japan in this period and want to see how much she understood Japanese culture. The author must have never imagined her book to someday be translated and published in Japan!”
Can you recommend a book written by a woman author in Japanese that has been translated into English?
Totto-Chan – The Little Girl at the Window.
It’s written by a Japanese TV personality, who is not Japanese Oprah but has been interviewing famous people in Japan for decades (and even Lady Gaga).
The book is written from her childhood memories before World War 2. In simple words, she shares her fond memories of a progressive school in Japan, which is today’s equivalent of Montessori school. As a Japanese person, it gives me a sense of Tokyo before the war destroyed it and for foreigners, you can have a glimpse of Tokyo before it turned into a metropolis as you know today.
Kitty Trewhitt
What is your favourite translated book by a woman author?
Currently on my bedside table I have La Ragazza Del Treno which is the Italian translation of The Girl On The Train by Paula Hawkins. I also love Si Je Reste which is the French translation of If I Stay by Gayle Forman.
What makes it so good a read and why would you recommend it?
It is very difficult to choose my favourite book but I know these stories very well (from reading the original English versions and watching the films) and so they were perfect reads to practise my French and Italian. The first is a psychological thriller which is my go to genre as I love the suspense they create and the unexpected twists that happen throughout. The second is a romance for young adults but is also a very emotional story (we all need a good cry sometimes).
Which other translated book by a woman author is on your reading list?
I would like to explore more books translated from foreign languages into English. Elena Ferrante is an author I studied at university and so I would like to read some of her books, starting with My Brilliant Friend. However she is a pseudonymous novelist and so may not be a female author. Others on my list are Visitation by Jenny Erpenbeck and Flights by Olga Tokarczuk.
Kate Osborn
What is your favourite translated book by a woman author?
One of my all time favourite books is Rebecca by Daphne de Maurier. It was one of the most successful books of the twentieth century and has been translated into many languages.
What makes it so good a read and why would you recommend it?
I received this book as a present for my 16th birthday and I can remember reading the first paragraph and being instantly hooked! The storyline follows a newly married woman and her wealthy widower. The unnamed, young woman quickly learns that her husband’s house is haunted by the memory of his first wife, Rebecca.
The descriptions of the setting are fantastic and you really get to explore the characters in great detail. It’s a dark storyline but incredibly captivating.
Which other translated book by a woman author is on your reading list?
Umami by Laia Jufresa, translated by Sophie Hughes has been recommended to me by a friend. Laia Jufresa has been praised in her native Mexico for her ‘vivid praise’.
Iris Heldensen
What is your favourite translated book by a woman author?
I am currently reading “Unsichtbare Frauen” by Caroline Criado-Perez – original title “Invisible Women: Exposing data bias in a world designed for men”, translated into German by Stephanie Singh.
What makes it so good a read and why would you recommend it?
Whilst I wouldn’t call it my favourite book in the usual sense of the word, it is an absolute must-read as it reveals the (quite shocking) gender bias that women are confronted with on a daily basis and shows how much work there still is to be done to achieve true equality. And if anyone questions the need for using gender-neutral language, they should read this book – it is a real eye-opener.
Which other translated book by a woman author is on your reading list?
Next on my to-read list is “Eine Frage der Chemie” by Bonnie Garmus (original title: “Lessons in Chemistry”). I came across it yesterday in a large book store in Frankfurt where it was presented as the staff’s recommendation as a “tale of female empowerment”. Other than the promising story, what stands out here for me is that the translators, Ulrike Wasel and Klaus Timmermann, are featured with a short descriptive summary of their work just underneath the author’s biography on the book cover – I think it’s great they are getting this form of credit which is still not the norm for translated books.
As far as translations of German authors into English are concerned: Two of my favourite German female authors are Susanne Fröhlich and Dora Heldt. I had to do some research, but it turns out Susanne Fröhlich hasn’t been translated into English as far as I can see (which is such a shame! Her books are hilarious!), and there are a few books by Dora Heldt available in English (for example “Chaperoned”). I have not read the English version, but if you are looking for a great laugh-out-loud fictional read, you can’t go wrong with this.
Books which have been translated into English on our reading list
All book lovers have a ‘to be read’ pile and here at LEaF ours is no exception!
Here’s the books from our recommended reading list to celebrate women in translation:
- The Life-Changing Magic of Tidying Up: The Japanese Art of Decluttering and Organizing by Marie Kondo
- This Too Shall Pass by Milena Busquets translated by Valerie Miles
- The Crossing: My Journey to the Shattered Heart of Syria by Samar Yazbek, translated by Nashwa Gowanlock and Ruth Ahmedzai Kemp
- Fever Dream by Samantha Schweblin, translated by Megan McDowell
- Pippi Longstocking by Astrid Lindgren
Popular books by women authors that have been translated into other languages
Here are some of the most popular books by women authors which have been translated into other languages:
- The Harry Potter series by J. K. Rowling – 79 languages
- Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen – over 40 languages
- Anne of Green Gables by Lucy Maud Montgomery – over 36 languages
- White Teeth by Zadie Smith – over 20 languages
Celebrate Women in Translation Month with us
Are you marking Women in Translation Month?
Do you have any recommended books for the team to share? We’d love to know – follow us on social media and join the #WITmonth discussion!
