I was really excited to get the longlist from the judges last Thursday. Having removed myself entirely from the process, it was as much of a surprise to me as it is for anyone reading this. And after spending a few days going over it, checking off the titles I’ve read, and the ones I want to read, I have to say that this is a pretty impressive group of books, with French lit being the big winner.<\/p>\n
As is mentioned below in the announcement\/press release, starting next Monday we’ll feature a book a day from this list, with info about the translator and author, the text itself, and lots of unscientific explanations for why each particular title deserves to win the award.<\/p>\n
Also, as a special tease, be sure and listen to this week’s Three Percent Podcast. Ed Nawotka—one of the BTBA<\/span> fiction judges—joined me and Tom to talk about the list, literature in general, Murakami and his mediocre 1Q84<\/em>, Arsenal’s thumping of Tottenham, and other sundry matters. But like with the podcast that Garth Hallberg was on, this one is more literary than usual, and a lot cleaner. <\/p>\n On with the announcing: <\/p>\n February 28, 2012\u2014The 25-title fiction longlist for the 2012 Best Translated Book Awards was announced this afternoon. This is the fifth year for the BTBA<\/span>, which launched in 2007 as a way of highlighting the best works of international literature published in the U.S. in the previous year. <\/p>\n Featuring authors from 14 countries writing in 12 languages, this year\u2019s fiction longlist illustrates the prize\u2019s dedication to literary diversity, ranging from works by established and classic authors, such as Moacyr Scliar\u2019s Kafka\u2019s Leopards<\/em> and Imre Kertesz\u2019s Fiasco<\/em>, to works by emerging voices, like Johan Harstad\u2019s Buzz Aldrin, What Happened to You in All the Confusion?<\/em>, and Inka Parei\u2019s The Shadow-Boxing Woman.<\/em> <\/p>\n The longlist also includes an eclectic mix of translators, from Steve Dolph\u2014whose translation of Juan Jos\u00e9 Saer\u2019s Scars<\/em> is his second full-length publication\u2014to world-renowned translators Bill Johnston\u2014who has two entries on this list, Stone Upon Stone<\/em> by Wies\u0142aw My\u015bliwski and In Red<\/em> by Magdalena Tulli. As in years past, the list is dominated by smaller independent publishers, such as Dedalus, Seagull Books, Melville House, and Archipelago Books, although a number of larger houses\u2014like W.W. Norton, Knopf, and Bloomsbury\u2014are also represented. <\/p>\n \u201cWe had such a difficult time culling this year\u2019s longlist down to just twenty-five titles,\u201d said fiction judge Gwendolyn Dawson. \u201cAlthough a small percentage of books published in the U.S. each year are original translations, those books are generally excellent and unique. We are excited by this year\u2019s strong longlist and daunted by the task of narrowing the list to a shortlist of only ten titles.\u201d<\/p>\n Books eligible for this year\u2019s award include titles published between December 1, 2010 and December 31, 2011 that have never before appeared in English translation in any form. Selection criteria include both the quality of the book itself and the quality of the translation, with the goal of honoring translators and authors for their joint effort in making future classics of world literature available to English readers. <\/p>\n This year\u2019s set of judges consists of Monica Carter (Salonica), Gwendolyn Dawson (Literary License), Scott Esposito (Conversational Reading and Center for the Art of Translation), Susan Harris (Words Without Borders), Annie Janusch (Translation Review), Matthew Jakubowski (writer & critic), Brandon Kennedy (bookseller\/cataloger), Bill Marx (PRI\u2019s The World: World Books), Edward Nawotka (Publishing Perspectives), Michael Orthofer (Complete Review), and Jeff Waxman (Seminary Co-op and University of Chicago Press). <\/p>\n For the second consecutive year, Three Percent is also proud to announce that Amazon.com is supporting the awards through a $25,000 grant that will provide $5,000 cash prizes to all of the winning authors and translators, as well as $5,000 to bring the judges to New York for the awards ceremony.<\/p>\n The 10-title fiction shortlist will be announced on Tuesday, April 10th, concurrent with the announcement of the finalists for the poetry award. Winners in both categories will be announced in New York City, as part of the PEN<\/span> World Voices Festival. (Details TK.)<\/p>\n More details about the awards ceremony will be made available in coming weeks. In the meantime, Three Percent will highlight one book a day from the fiction longlist, with features written by translators, reviewers, and editors about the singular qualities of each title, and \u201cwhy it should win.\u201d Leeches<\/em><\/a> by David Albahari My Two Worlds<\/em><\/a> by Sergio Chejfec Demolishing Nisard<\/em><\/a> by Eric Chevillard Private Property<\/em><\/a> by Paule Constant Lightning<\/em><\/a> by Jean Echenoz Zone<\/em><\/a> by Mathias \u00c9nard Buzz Aldrin, What Happened to You in All the Confusion?<\/em><\/a> by Johan Harstad Upstaged<\/em><\/a> by Jacques Jouet Fiasco<\/em><\/a> by Imre Kert\u00e9sz Montecore<\/em><\/a> by Jonas Hassen Khemiri Korn\u00e9l Esti<\/em><\/a> by Dezs\u0151 Kosztol\u00e1nyi I Am a Japanese Writer<\/em><\/a> by Dany Laferri\u00e8re Suicide<\/em><\/a> by Edouard Lev\u00e9 New Finnish Grammar<\/em><\/a> by Diego Marani Purgatory<\/em><\/a> by Tom\u00e1s Eloy Mart\u00ednez Stone Upon Stone<\/em><\/a> by Wies\u0142aw My\u015bliwski Scenes from Village Life<\/em><\/a> by Amos Oz The Shadow-Boxing Woman<\/em><\/a> by Inka Parei Funeral for a Dog<\/em><\/a> by Thomas Pletzinger Scars<\/em><\/a> by Juan Jos\u00e9 Saer Kafka\u2019s Leopards<\/em><\/a> by Moacyr Scliar Seven Years<\/em><\/a> by Peter Stamm The Truth about Marie<\/em><\/a> by Jean-Philippe Toussaint
\n\u2003
\nThe 2012 BTBA<\/span> Fiction Longlist (in alphabetical order by author):<\/p>\n\n
\nTranslated from the Serbian by Ellen Elias-Bursa\u0107
\n(Houghton Mifflin Harcourt)<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n
\nTranslated from the Spanish by Margaret B. Carson
\n(Open Letter)<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n
\nTranslated from the French by Jordan Stump
\n(Dalkey Archive Press)<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n
\nTranslated from the French by Margot Miller and France Grenaudier-Klijn
\n(University of Nebraska Press)<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n
\nTranslated from the French by Linda Coverdale
\n(New Press)<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n
\nTranslated from the French by Charlotte Mandell
\n(Open Letter)<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n
\nTranslated from the Norwegian by Deborah Dawkin
\n(Seven Stories)<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n
\nTranslated from the French by Leland de la Durantaye
\n(Dalkey Archive Press)<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n
\nTranslated from the Hungarian by Tim Wilkinson
\n(Melville House)<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n
\nTranslated from the Swedish by Rachel Willson-Broyles
\n(Knopf)<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n
\nTranslated from the Hungarian by Bernard Adams
\n(New Directions)<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n
\nTranslated from the French by David Homel
\n(Douglas & MacIntyre)<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n
\nTranslated from the French by Jan Steyn
\n(Dalkey Archive Press)<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n
\nTranslated from the Italian by Judith Landry
\n(Dedalus)<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n
\nTranslated from the Spanish by Frank Wynne
\n(Bloomsbury)<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n
\nTranslated from the Polish by Bill Johnston
\n(Archipelago Books)<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n
\nTranslated from the Hebrew by Nicholas de Lange
\n(Houghton Mifflin Harcourt)<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n
\nTranslated from the German by Katy Derbyshire
\n(Seagull Books)<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n
\nTranslated from the German by Ross Benjamin
\n(W.W. Norton)<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n
\nTranslated from the Spanish by Steve Dolph
\n(Open Letter)<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n
\nTranslated from the Portuguese by Thomas O. Beebee
\n(Texas Tech University Press)<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n
\nTranslated from the German by Michael Hofmann
\n(Other Press)<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n
\nTranslated from the French by Matthew B. Smith
\n(Dalkey Archive Press)<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n