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August is Women in Translation month, but at any time of year it's worth checking out these incredible novels written by women all around the world and then translated beautifully into English for us to enjoy. Take a look!
I Who Have Never Known Men by Jacqueline Harpman is a haunting dystopian novel about a group of women held captive underground without knowledge of why or how they got there. The story follows the journey of one woman who emerges after their escape, exploring themes of freedom, identity, and humanity in a stark and mysterious world.
Compelling, delightfully weird, often uncomfortable PANDORA SYKES Unputdownable, breathtakingly original ERIN KELLY I have been glued to Asako Yuzuki's new novel Butter NIGEL SLATER A full-fat, Michelin-starred treat THE TIMES The cult Japanese bestseller about a female gourmet cook and serial killer and the journalist intent on cracking her case, inspired by a true story. There are two things that I can simply not tolerate: feminists and margarine. Gourmet cook Manako Kajii sits in Tokyo Detention Centre convicted of the serial murders of lonely businessmen, who she is said to have seduced with her delicious home cooking. The case has captured the nation's imagination but Kajii refuses to speak with the press, entertaining no visitors. That is, until journalist Rika Machida writes a letter asking for her recipe...
The unmissable new novel of friendship and dangerous obsession from Asako Yuzuki, the award-winning author of the global bestselling sensation Butter. Eriko really wouldn’t mind being savaged, if it was her best friend doing the savaging … Eriko’s life appears perfect – devoted parents, spotless apartment and a job in the seafood division of one of Japan’s largest trading companies. Her latest project, to reintroduce the controversial Nile perch fish into the Japanese market, is characteristically ambitious. But beneath her flawless surface she is wracked by loneliness. Eriko becomes fascinated with a popular blog written by a housewife, Shoko. Shoko’s posts about eating convenience store food and her untidy home are the opposite of the typical Japanese housewife’s manicured lifestyle. When Eriko tracks Shoko down at her favourite restaurant...
The Vegetarian by Han Kang is a powerful story about a woman in South Korea who decides to stop eating meat after a series of disturbing dreams. Her seemingly simple choice disrupts her life and her relationships, revealing the complexities of personal choice and social expectations. The novel delves into themes of identity, rebellion, and societal pressure.
The Memory Police is set on an unnamed island where everyday objects start to disappear, seemingly erased from existence. The Memory Police enforce these disappearances, while a young novelist secretly preserves lost items. Her efforts to resist the erasures become perilous as the sense of identity and memory itself faces obliteration in this haunting tale of control and resistance.
My Brilliant Friend by Elena Ferrante is the first novel in the Neapolitan Quartet, exploring the intricate friendship between two girls, Elena and Lila, in a post-war, poverty-stricken neighbourhood of Naples. As they grow, their bond is both supportive and competitive, reflecting the challenges of changing societal expectations, family ties, and personal ambitions. This evocative narrative captures the complexity of friendship and the relentless quest for personal identity through the lens of their intertwined lives.
An absolutely stunning little book, unlike anything else I've ever read. A meditation on time and our relationship to it. Groundhog day but done in a way that is wonderfully unique and reflection, written and translated with absolutely impeccable skill. I cannot wait to read the rest of the series.
Drive Your Plow Over the Bones of the Dead is a mystery novel set in a remote Polish village. The story follows an eccentric, reclusive woman who becomes embroiled in a series of peculiar deaths when she suspects they might be linked to local wildlife. As she investigates, the narrative explores themes of ecology, fate, and the complexity of human nature.
Convenience Store Woman by Sayaka Murata is a profound exploration of societal norms through the life of Keiko Furukura, a 36-year-old woman who finds solace and purpose working part-time at a convenience store in Tokyo. Despite her family's pressure to conform to traditional paths of career success and marriage, Keiko thrives in her simple role, challenging the reader to question what it truly means to lead a fulfilling life. The novel deftly examines individuality and the quiet rebellion of living on one's own terms.
Human Acts by Han Kang delves into the harrowing Gwangju Uprising in South Korea, exploring the complex aftermath of the event. This novel weaves together multiple perspectives, each grappling with grief, loss, and identity, and illuminating the profound effects of collective trauma on individuals and society. The narrative compassionately unravels the struggle to retain humanity amid brutal political repression.
Those Who Leave and Those Who Stay by Elena Ferrante explores the lives of two friends, Elena and Lila, as they navigate adulthood in 1970s Italy. The novel delves into their personal struggles, political tensions, and the evolving dynamics of their tumultuous yet profound friendship.
The Story of a New Name by Elena Ferrante is a captivating exploration of the evolving friendship between Elena and Lila, two women from a poor neighbourhood in Naples, as they navigate the complexities of love, ambition, and societal expectations. Through personal struggles and triumphs, their intertwined destinies highlight the stark contrasts and intimate bonds that shape their lives.
Tara Selter is one of many. In a sprawling villa on the outskirts of Bremen, Tara Selter is starting to settle into a new kind of eighteenth of November. Her days with Henry, Ralf, and Olga revolve around the daily routines of practical chores: gathering provisions, splitting firewood. But one morning, there are five new arrivals at their wrought-iron gate. Now the villa is full of people. As their community grows, their search for answers about the eighteenth of November becomes more urgent. Shortlisted for the International Booker Prize and Winner of the Nordic Council Prize for Literature, On the Calculation of Volume IV is the fourth volume of the poetic, page-turning European masterpiece about one woman's fall through the cracks of time. 'Absolutely, absolutely incredible.' Karl Ove...
The phenomenal word-of-mouth bestseller, shortlisted for the Waterstones Debut Fiction Prize, winner of 5 awards in Sweden including the Swedish Book of the Year and the Swedish Booksellers prize, with rights sold in 39 territories. Uplifting, deeply moving, emotional – this book will stay with you in a remarkable way. Discover the international word-of-mouth bestseller, shortlisted for the Waterstones Debut Fiction Prize, and winner of the Swedish Book of the Year. 'The most moving book I've ever read – heart-breaking but also heart-warming.' Jacqueline Wilson 'The kind of book you give to someone when you're really trying to say "I've been thinking about you" but don't know how.' Fredrik Backman, bestselling author of A Man Called Ove 'A novel anyone will take to heart...a simple yet effective meditation...
From the International Booker Prize Shortlisted author of Heaven and Breasts and Eggs Hana has nothing but she's hopeful. She's fifteen years old. She lives in a tiny apartment in a suburb of Tokyo with her young mother, a hostess at a local dive bar. They have no money, no security. Then Kimiko appears. Kimiko is older, a bright light in Hana's dark world. Together they set up Lemon, a bar that caters to hostesses and their marks, small-time crooks, men with low morals and deep pockets, and anyone down on their luck. Suddenly, Hana has a job she loves, friends to share her days with, and the glittering promise of money. She feels like a normal girl. She feels invincible. But in the seedy streets of Setagaya,...
The Story of the Lost Child by Elena Ferrante follows the lifelong friendship of two women, Elena and Lila, as they navigate personal and political upheavals in Naples. Their bond is tested by their divergent paths, and the story explores themes of identity, ambition, and the complexities of female friendship.
A chilling feminist horror tale in which a troubled young woman exacts revenge on male customers at her plant shop, using their remains as fertiliser, for fans of Convenience Store Woman and My Sister the Serial Killer. The cult Korean psychological horror tale of a green-fingered serial killer. In the heart of a quiet town, a young woman tends to her plant shop, but beneath the surface of her lush, green sanctuary lies something far darker.... Every garden needs a little weeding... Tucked away in the corner of a neighbourhood in Dosan, South Korea, is the Plant Shop. Shop owner Yoohee has started anew, and her meticulously grown foliage thrives under her tender care. To both her customers and herself, the Plant Shop is a refuge, where petunias...
‘Fantastic.’ Karl Ove Knausgard ‘Miraculous.’ The Cut ‘Unforgettable.’ Hernan Diaz ‘Wonderful.’ K Patrick ‘A total explosion: a new dimension.’ Nicole Krauss The second volume of the landmark European masterpiece about a woman lost in time. I was sure that through careful listening you could solve any problem that might arise. If you really listened. The great questions in life. Everything. Tara Selter is searching for a way back into time. A year has passed, but Tara still wakes up to the same newspapers, and the same blank faces when she explains that she has seen this all before. Until one morning, she boards a train and finds herself in a new day. It is still the eighteenth of November, but the faces are different, the weather is colder....
The third volume of the landmark European masterpiece about a woman lost in time. Tara Selter is no longer alone. I have met someone who remembers. Yesterday. That is to say, I met him yesterday. But he remembers yesterday, too. He remembers that we met yesterday. 'A classic in the making.' — Chetna Maroo 'I'm counting the days until the next instalment.' — Jon McGregor 'Absolutely, absolutely fantastic.' — Karl Ove Knausgaard
Our Share of Night by Mariana Enriquez delves into the dark journey of a father and his son as they navigate a world entangled with eerie supernatural elements. It explores themes of love, protection, and the sinister legacies that haunt them. This gripping tale is sure to captivate readers of general fiction with its blend of emotional depth and suspense.
Cursed Bunny by Bora Chung blends elements of horror, fantasy, and magical realism. The collection of short stories examines themes of family, love, and economic disparity through imaginative and sometimes unsettling narratives. Each story presents a unique world, inviting readers to reflect on the human condition and the unseen consequences of our actions.
"Normality is the creepiest madness there is..." From the author of the bestselling literary sensations Convenience Store Woman and Earthlings comes a surprising and highly imaginative story set in a version of Japan where sex between married couples has vanished and all children are born by artificial insemination. Sayaka Murata has proven herself to be one of the most exciting chroniclers of the strangeness of society, x-raying our contemporary world to bizarre and troubling effect. Her depictions of a happily unmarried retail worker in Convenience Store Woman and a young woman convinced she is an alien in Earthlings have endeared her to millions of readers worldwide. Vanishing World takes Murata's universe to a bold new level, imagining an alternative Japan where attitudes to sex and procreation are wildly...
A heartwarming bestselling Korean novel about the power of books to heal, as a woman leaves her busy life in Seoul to open a bookshop café in the countryside where guests can stay overnight. Welcome to Soyangri Book Kitchen In a peaceful village in the countryside, far from the bustling heart of Seoul, lies a book lovers' paradise. With its wafts of delicious food and book-filled shelves, Soyangri Book Kitchen is dotingly managed by its plucky proprietor Yoojin. Her aim? To create a sanctuary for weary souls like herself. But the book kitchen is more than just a place to eat or read—it's a place which offers its guests a true escape, not just inside the pages of its many books, but in the warm embrace of an...
Like a long winter's dream, this haunting and visionary new novel from 2024 Nobel Prize winner Han Kang takes us on a journey from contemporary South Korea into its painful history. Beginning one morning in December, We Do Not Part traces the path of Kyungha as she travels from the city of Seoul into the forests of Jeju Island, to the home of her old friend Inseon. Hospitalized following an accident, Inseon has begged Kyungha to hasten there to feed her beloved pet bird, who will otherwise die. Kyungha takes the first plane to Jeju, but a snowstorm hits the island the moment she arrives, plunging her into a world of white. Beset by icy wind and snow squalls, she wonders if she will arrive in time to...
Breasts and Eggs by Mieko Kawakami is a profound exploration of womanhood, identity, and societal expectations in contemporary Japan. It follows Natsu, an aspiring writer, and her sister Makiko, who travels to Tokyo seeking breast enhancement. The narrative delves into themes of motherhood, personal choice, and the pursuit of individuality, offering an intimate and thought-provoking look at the lives of these modern Japanese women.
All the Lovers in the Night by Mieko Kawakami is a poignant exploration of solitude and self-discovery in modern Tokyo. It revolves around Fuyuko, a woman living a secluded life, who embarks on a journey of intimacy and self-reflection after meeting individuals who challenge her perception of happiness and fulfilment. The narrative delicately examines themes of loneliness, personal growth, and the complexity of human relationships.
A woman settles in a remote Polish village. It has few inhabitants now, but it teems with the stories of its living and its dead. There’s the drunk Marek Marek, who discovers that he shares his body with a bird, and Franz Frost, whose nightmares come to him from a newly discovered planet. There’s the man whose death—with one leg on the Polish side, one on the Czech—was an international incident. And there are the Germans who still haunt a region that not long ago they called their own. From the founding of the town to the lives of its saints, these shards piece together not only a history but a cosmology. Another brilliant ‘constellation novel’ in the mode of her International Booker Prize–winning Flights, House of Day,...
Minor Detail by Adania Shibli is an evocative novel set in the desert during the 1948 Arab-Israeli War. The story intertwines two timelines: one follows a horrifying crime committed by an Israeli officer, while the other, years later, details a woman’s unwavering investigation into these events, desperately searching for truth and understanding. The novel poignantly examines themes of memory, history, and the complexities of trauma through its sparse yet powerful prose.
‘Illuminating … beautifully’ LYDIA KIESLING ‘I loved it’ ANNA HOGELAND ‘Intimate, searing’ RAMONA AUSUBEL A cult feminist hit in South Korea, Hello Baby is a gripping and intimate portrait of motherhood, fertility and womanhood for fans of Butter and Breasts and Eggs. Outside the chat, they had different jobs, personalities, financial backgrounds, but inside, they were all mothers-to-be anxiously awaiting their babies. In a group chat called ‘Hello Baby’, six women share the anxieties and absurdities of undergoing IVF. They first met at Baby Angel Hospital, an elite fertility clinic in Seoul. Outside the chat, each woman is different – a journalist, a police officer, a vet, a lawyer and two housewives – but inside it, they’ve come to confide in one another. They know it is unlikely...
The Dangers of Smoking in Bed by Mariana Enriquez is a collection of intense and haunting stories that explore the darker sides of urban life in Buenos Aires. Filled with supernatural elements, these tales delve into themes of desire, repression, and the disturbing undercurrents lurking beneath everyday existence. The narratives combine gritty reality with ghostly spectres, creating a chilling yet mesmerizing reading experience.
Two Women Living Together by Hana Kim and Sunwoo Hwang is a warm and witty Korean bestseller that redefines family life. At some point between living alone and becoming single, Hwang Sunwoo and Kim Hana found each other and decided to live together in a nice apartment where their four cats would finally have the freedom to run around. Together, they became a family—and redefined it. In an era where housing costs have skyrocketed while birth rates have plummeted, these two independent Korean women in their late forties share their views on society and its expectations. Intending neither to marry nor to live alone, they reflect on the comfort of their cohabiting friendship as it blossoms into a life full of joy and meaning. From housing insecurity and...
Boulder by Eva Baltasar delves into the life of a solitary woman who relishes freedom and independence. Her lifestyle is challenged when she falls in love with Samsa, a chef. Their relationship leads to a compromise and transformation as they try to reconcile their deeply individualistic tendencies with their intense connection. The narrative beautifully explores themes of love, desire, and personal autonomy.
From a massive rising star in the world of Korean female sci-fi comes the gripping, heartrending tale of how two sisters train a worn-out racehorse to run the slowest race of its life – for fans of Klara and the Sun and Convenience Store Woman. The #1 Korean Instant Bestseller and Prizewinner with a Unique Narrator Discover the original and uplifting sensation for fans of Convenience Store Woman and Klara and the Sun. 'A stunning story of love, care and sacrifice' - Bora Chung, author of Cursed Bunny 'Feels like a feather softly descending and tickling my heart' - Reader review ★★★★★ 'A breath of fresh air' - Reader review ★★★★★ 'Full of human warmth' - ★★★★★ It's only when we slow down that we can truly experience...
In Somebody is Walking on Your Grave, Mariana Enriquez blends journalistic rigour and her fascination with the macabre as we encounter famous graveyards steeped in history, such as Montparnasse in Paris, Highgate in London, and the Jewish cemetery in Prague, as well as more remote, decrepit, hidden, or secretly beautiful ones. These pages are full of the graves of famous figures—Elvis in Memphis, Karl Marx in London—mournful sculptures, traces of voodoo, catacombs, skeletons, and an array of legends and stories. Mariana's personal journey weaves through haunting narratives, transforming burial grounds into spaces of reflection, obsession, and emotional discovery between the living and the dead. From the haunting statues of Staglieno in Genoa to the eerie silence of Rottnest Island's hidden Aboriginal cemetery, Enriquez's narrative shifts effortlessly between travelogue,...
A powerful novel of the saving grace of language and human connection, from the celebrated author of The Vegetarian. In a classroom in Seoul, a young woman watches her Greek language teacher at the blackboard. She tries to speak but has lost her voice. Her teacher finds himself drawn to the silent woman, for day by day he is losing his sight. Soon they discover a deeper pain binds them together. For her, in the space of just a few months, she has lost both her mother and the custody battle for her nine-year-old son. For him, it's the pain of growing up between Korea and Germany, being torn between two cultures and languages. Greek Lessons tells the story of two ordinary people brought together at a moment...
Heaven by Mieko Kawakami explores the profound bond between two teenage outsiders who are united by their shared experience of bullying. Set in the unnamed protagonist's school life, the narrative delves into themes of isolation, resilience, and the poignant search for comfort amidst hardship. Through poignant storytelling, Kawakami reflects on the complexities of human emotions and connections.
From the author and translator of the National Book Award finalist and Booker Prize shortlisted Cursed Bunny, comes a new novel-in-ghost-stories, set in a mysterious research centre that houses cursed objects, where those who open the wrong door might find it's disappeared behind them, or that the echoing footsteps they're running from are their own... The acclaimed Korean horror and sci-fi writer's goosebump-inducing new book follows an employee on the night shift at the Institute. They soon learn why some employees don't last long at the centre. The handkerchief in Room 302 once belonged to the late mother of two sons, whose rivalry imbues the handkerchief with undue power and unravels those around it. The cursed sneaker down the hall is stolen by a live-streaming, ghost-chasing employee, who...
Nestled among rugged mountains, in a remote part of Catalonia frequented by wolf hunters, bandits, deserters, ghosts, beasts and demons, sits the old farmhouse called Mas Clavell. Inside, an impossibly old woman lies on her deathbed while family and caretakers drift in and out. All the women who have ever lived and died in that house are waiting for her to join them. They are preparing to throw her a party. As day turns to night, four hundred years' worth of memories unspool, and the house reverberates with the women's stories. Stories of mysterious visions, of those born without eyelashes and tongues or with deformed hearts. But it begins with the story of the matriarch Joana who double-crosses the devil, heedless of what the consequences might be. I...
Flights by Olga Tokarczuk is a mesmerising collection of vignettes and essays exploring themes of travel, human anatomy, and the search for meaning. The narrative weaves together stories of voyagers, each grappling with personal transformation as they traverse both geographical and metaphysical landscapes. Through this mosaic, Tokarczuk reflects on the nature of movement and the impermanence of life.
Mariana Enriquez's A Sunny Place for Shady People is her first story collection since the International Booker Prize-shortlisted The Dangers of Smoking in Bed. Featuring achingly human characters whose lives intertwine with ghosts, the occult, and the macabre, the stories explore themes of love, womanhood, LGBTQ counterculture, parenthood, and Argentina's brutal past.
A radical novel on androgyny and double selves, from the author of BookTok sensation I Who Have Never Known Men. There's a voice in Aline's head—a voice that wants out. Brash, boisterous and sexually adventurous, this voice seems to be the antithesis of Aline, a prim literature professor for whom each day promises to be as quiet and conventional as the last. That is until, after thirty-five years of imprisonment, her alter ego breaks free. Taking on a life of his own, Orlanda—Aline's second self—slips into the taut, rugged body of a young man. As Aline continues unaware, Orlanda follows, dragging gleeful chaos in his wake, vowing to leave both their existences forever altered. A bewitching fable, an androgynous dream, Orlanda is one woman's reckoning with all the...
The Books of Jacob by Olga Tokarczuk is a sweeping historical novel that explores the life of Jacob Frank, a charismatic and controversial figure in 18th-century Europe. Through a rich tapestry of interwoven narratives and a diverse cast of characters, the book delves into themes of faith, identity, and transformation, capturing the cultural and social complexities of the time. This epic tale offers a deep and engaging exploration of humanity's search for meaning.
Diary of a Void by Emi Yagi is a thought-provoking novel that delves into the societal pressures and absurdities surrounding expectations of women in the workplace. The story follows a factory worker who fakes a pregnancy to escape relentless duties and scrutiny, revealing how far one might go for survival in a deeply conformist environment. Through this clever premise, the novel explores themes of identity, freedom, and the nature of deception.
Embark on a BRIEF ENCOUNTER with Jacqueline Harpman, author of I Who Have Never Known Men, with this startling new collection of three never-before-translated stories, about orders given and defied. A startling new collection of three never-before-translated stories, from the author of I Who Have Never Known Men. In the wake of some unfathomable war, a woman wanders the forest, forbidden from ever leaving its strange depths. As part of her rigid schooling, a teenage girl is barred from questioning the dogma she is taught to believe. Locked in a loveless marriage, a young woman satisfies her husband's desires, twice-weekly, as directed—until she begins to pursue her own. Includes the stories: The Ardennes Forest, The Outcast and The Broom Cupboard. BRIEF ENCOUNTERS: classic novellas and captivating stories, to...
A charming, cosy and thought-provoking tale about a wonderfully unconventional little witch, by bestselling author of BUTTER, Asako Yuzuki. Perfect for fans of WICKED, KIKI'S DELIVERY SERVICE, and THE HATMAKERS series by Tamzin Merchant - and anyone who likes an enchanting adventure with just a hint of mischief. Mari the Unwonderful Witch introduces us to Mari, an eleven-year-old witch who loves her life. Indeed, what's not to love about spending time with her amazing mothers, hanging out with her clever friends, eating delicious food and experimenting with fashion? But, if you ask any of the other witches in town, Mari loves her life a little too much. After all, a wonderful witch puts the needs of others before herself. Magic should be used to help humans - not...
From one of the world's greatest living writers, recently featured on Dua Lipa's book club, a fable-like novel charting Poland's turbulent twentieth century through the life of a mythical village. The Nobel Prize winner at her earthiest and most ethereal, in a fictional journey through three generations in the life of a mythical Polish village. For the denizens of Primeval, the world beyond its fields and forests is but a dream. The outcast Cornspike raises her daughter among the creatures and spirits of the forest. The squire Popielski loses his faith and becomes obsessed with a game where progress is attained only by dreaming the right kind of dream. Nonhuman beings - trees and mushrooms and archangels - have their stories, or Times, too, as do inanimate objects,...
Klara and the Sun meets Mean Girls in this queer coming-of-age K-pop love story between an idol and her fan. Worship the idol. Fall for the real girl. In a future Korea, those who can afford to have retreated from the ravaged world outside, slipping on virtual reality headsets to lose themselves in simulations of the past. But high school student Soop, unable to access VR, is bullied by her classmates for being forced to remain in the real world. Her only solace comes from the K-pop she listens to on repeat. When Yichae—Soop's favourite idol—comes to film a new music video at her school, Soop hopes this might be her chance at real connection. But Yichae has her own troubles. She is one of the few remaining...
In the House of the Sacred Sisterhood, the unworthy live in fear of the Superior Sister's whip. Seething with resentment, they plot against each other and await who will ascend to the level of the Enlightened — and who will suffer the next exemplary punishment. Risking her life, one of the unworthy keeps a diary in secret. Slowly, memories surface from a time before the world collapsed, before the Sacred Sisterhood became the only refuge. Then Lucía arrives. She, too, is unworthy — but she is different. And her arrival brings a single spark of hope to a world of darkness. The Unworthy by Agustina Bazterrica tells a tale of survival and the thin thread of hope that can lead to freedom in the most oppressive of environments....
A quirky, joyful queer love story about a lonely museum worker who falls in love with a statue of Venus, from the author of cult hit Diary of a Void. Rika Horauchi's new part-time job is to converse with a statue of Venus—in Latin—every Monday, when the museum is closed. Initially reluctant, Rika starts to enjoy her strange new job. Recommended by her old university professor for her exemplary language skills, Rika leads an otherwise unassuming life, working the rest of the week in a frozen-food warehouse. As Venus comes to life in the quiet of the museum, they talk about everything. Venus opens up new worlds for Rika, both intellectually and emotionally. They soon fall in love. But when the museum's curator, Hashibami, makes it clear he...
Nineteen Claws and a Black Bird by Agustina Bazterrica is a chilling collection of stories that delve into the unsettling and eerie aspects of human nature and the supernatural. Each tale explores the darker side of existence, blending horror with psychological intrigue. The stories are crafted to captivate and unnerve, offering a poignant reflection on fear, paranoia, and the unknown.
