April has been a fantastic month for children’s books in translation. Read on for news about the GLLI Translated YA Book Prize winner, reviews of some beautiful books, a list of new releases and info about two exciting online events this week.
News
The BIG NEWS this month is that the 2022 Global Literature in Libraries Initiative Translated YA Book Prize winner has been announced! Dr. Catharine Bomhold, chair of the prize committee, said, “We had another banner year for submissions … It is gratifying to see so many new books proven popular with teens elsewhere now be shared with English-speaking audiences.”
The winning book is Oksi with words and pictures by Finnish creator Mari Ahokoivu, translated by Silja-Maaria Aronpuro (Levine Querido). The GLLI statement said: “It is a beautifully told tale steeped in Finnish mythology that speaks to the lengths mothers and daughters will go to feel loved.”
The committee also chose one honor book, The Immortal Boy, by Francisco Montaña Ibáñez, translated from Spanish [Colombia] by David Bowles and also published by Levine Querido, calling it a “a gut-wrenching story that explores themes of poverty, survival, and hope.”
Our huge congratulations to the creators, translators and publishers, and also to GLLI for another superb year of the prize.
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Submissions for the Warwick Prize for Women in Translation are now open. The Prize is open to any novel, novella, collection of short stories, collection of poetry, book-length work of creative/literary non-fiction, book-length work of fiction for children or young adults, graphic novel or play text originally written in any language other than English by a woman of any nationality and translated into English by a person of any gender, provided that the translation in question was published for the first time in print form in the United Kingdom and/or Ireland between 1 April, 2021 and 31 March, 2022. The deadline for completion of the online entry form is Friday 20 May 2022. The deadline for hard copies is Friday 27 May.
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From 31 July to 5 August 2022, Arbeitskreis für Jugendliteratur e.V. (IBBY Germany) will host an international workshop on the translation of German-language children’s and YA literature entitled ‘Kein Kinderspiel!’ / ‘No Child’s Play’. It will take place in Hamburg, Germany, and will be held in German. Professional translators into all languages are welcome.
The program, accommodation and meals for the duration of the workshop will be free of charge. Participants can avail of a travel allowance. Further details and application forms are available here. Deadline for applications: 15 May 2022.
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The Parrot Street Book Club is a book subscription service for children in the UK. This month their books for older readers features The Blue Book of Nebo written and translated by Manon Steffan Ros (Firefly Press). Past packs are also available to buy and have featured Me, In Between by Julya Rabinowich, translated by Claire Storey (Andersen Press) and Me and the Robbersons by Siri Kolu, translated by Ruth Urbom (Little Tiger Press). It’s great to see books in translation featuring in this initiative.
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The UN SDG Book Club African Chapter is celebrating its first anniversary! Congratulations to all involved. You can catch up with their celebrations on their Facebook page
Interviews and articles
Kids Read the World – Lori reflects on her family’s visit to the Read the World: Picture Books and Translation exhibition at the Carle Museum in Amherst, Massachusetts
SCBWI Japan Translation Group – The Saga of Sweet Bean Paste: A Conversation with Alison Watts, by Deborah Iwabuchi
Chinese Books for Young Readers – Amanda Ruiqing Flynn on children’s books and bookstores in Taiwan and Singapore
The Bookseller – Championing creativity by Professor Sunny Singh
ArabLit – WatWat Takes Flight: Arabic Comics for Young Readers
Words & Pictures: blog from SCBWI British Isles – Interview with Claire Storey
Parrot Street Book Club – Maximillian Jones on The Boy Behind the Wall and historical books for teens with mentions for Me, In Between by Julya Rabinowich, translated by Claire Storey, and The Murderer’s Ape by Jakob Wegelius, translated by Peter Graves
Parrot Street Book Club – 13 children’s books exploring the impact of war and the refugee experience, featuring Me, In Between by Julya Rabinowich, translated by Claire Storey
Evanston RoundTable – Book Bird: Watching children’s lit from afar, Betsy Bird speaks to Lawrence Schimel about LGBTQ books for kids at home and abroad
Words Without Borders – The Present and Future of Arabic Kid Lit: A Conversation. Marcia Lynx Qualey talks to Salwa Shakhshir, Miranda Beshara, and Mohamed Nabulsi.
Kulturradet – What’s up in Swedish children’s literature?
Book Reviews
Kirkus Reviews – Thunderbird, Book One, by Sonia Nimr, translated by Marcia Lynx Qualey (Center for Middle Eastern Studies)
Kirkus Podcast – Episode 264: Rhea Ewing, with mention for The Day Saida Arrived by Susana Gómez Redondo and Sonja Wimmer, trans. by Lawrence Schimel (Blue Dot Kids Press)
The Wall Street Journal – The Book that Kibo Wrote by Mariana Ruiz Johnson, translated by Lawrence Schimel (Eerdmans)
Let’s Talk Picture Books – The Book that Kibo Wrote by Mariana Ruiz Johnson, translated by Lawrence Schimel (Eerdmans)
New York Times – Stop and Smell the Roses, reviews by Jennifer Krauss, featuring Just To See written by Morgane de Cadier, illustrated by Florian Pigé, translated by Johanna McCalmont (Blue Dot)
Publishers Weekly – Starred review for It’s So Difficult by Raúl Nieto Guridi, translated by Lawrence Schimel (Eerdmans)
Publishers Weekly – Starred review for Book of Questions by Pablo Neruda, translated from Spanish by Sara Lissa Paulson, illustrated by Paloma Valdivia (Enchanted Lion)
Publishers Weekly – Imagine! Rhymes of Hope to Shout Together by Bruno Tognolini, trans. from Italian by Denise Muir, illus. by Giulia Orecchia (Red Comet)
Publishers Weekly – You Are the Loveliest by Hans and Monique Hagen, trans. from Dutch by David Colmer, illus. by Marit Törnqvist (Levine Querido)
Kids Read the World – Recommendations from Lori for books from Latvia
New York Times – Lost, and Found, in Translation: 3 Picture Books About Language Turn Anglocentric Tropes on Their Head by Kory Stamper
Publishers Weekly – starred review for The Color of the Sky Is the Shape of the Heart by Chesil, trans. from the Japanese by Takami Nieda (Soho Teen)
Publishers Weekly – Telling Stories Wrong by Gianni Rodari, trans. from Italian by Anthony Shugaar, illus. by Beatrice Alemagna (Enchanted Lion)
Global Literature in Libraries Initiative #WorldKidLitWednesdays translated book reviews:
- The Easy Life in Kamusari written by Shion Miura, translated from Japanese [Japan] by Juliet Winters Carpenter (Amazon Crossing). Review by Laura Taylor
- That’s Not Normal Written by Mar Pavón, illustrated by Laure du Faÿ, translated from Spanish [Spain] by Martin Hyams (NubeOcho). Review by Klem-Mari Cajigas
Resources
EUNIC London – The 2022 European Translation and Publishing Grants Booklet is available to download including information on Translation Prizes, Residencies and Publishing Grants for European Literature.
Events
Eric Carle Museum of Picture Book Art: “Translating Picture Books”
28 April 2022, 4-5pm UTC
Join Ruth Ahmedzai Kemp, Daniel Hahn, Lawrence Schimel, and Helen Wang as they answer questions about being a translator and the translation of picture books.
Free event and available to watch later on the Carle Museum YouTube channel. To attend live, register here
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Young Adult Studies Association (YASA) – YA Studies Around the World: The Series!
Introductory keynote speech by Dr Kelly Gardiner “A World of YA” takes place on 28 April 2022 17:00 UTC. The online event is free but you must be a YASA member (also free to join). Once you become a member, you will be able to access the full series line up.
More details here.
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Muna Kalati Talks No. 14
29 April 2022, 4 – 5.30 p.m. (GMT), 6 p.m. (CEST)
Read more about Muna Kalati here and register here.
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Children’s Literature as World Literature – Sheikh Zayed Book Award
An online discussion of Arabic children’s and YA literature as world literature. Featuring:
- Prof. Wen-chin Ouyang, SOAS University of London (moderator)
- Raja Malah – 2022 SZBA shortlistee for the category Children’s Literature
- Charlotte Eyre – freelance journalist, previously Children’s Editor at The Bookseller
- Pam Dix – Chair of the International Board on Books for Young People UK (IBBY UK)
31 May 2022, 1pm – 2.15 UTC. Register here
ICYMI on the blog this month
- How Do You Live? A Japanese Wonder Review by Mariana Ruiz
- “Read the World” at the Eric Carle Museum Interview with Professor Regina Galasso and her student, Caroline Seitz
- Interview with Dr Guerra of The Little Doctor / El Doctorcito
New releases
Picture Books
Blaze and the Castle Cake for Bertha Daye by Claude Ponti, translated by Alyson Waters and Margot Kerlidou (Elsewhere Editions) ~ French [France]
The Secret of Cricket Karlsson by Kristina Sigunsdotter, illustrated by Ester Eriksson, translated by Julia Marshall (Gecko Press) ~ Swedish [Sweden]
Drawing Outdoors by Jairo Buitrago, illustrated by Rafael Yockteng, translated by Elisa Amado (Aldana) ~ Spanish [Mexico]
Geo-Graphics by Regina Giménez, translated by Alexis Romay and Valerie Black (Levine Querido) ~ Spanish [Spain]
Teen / YA
Amazona by Canizales, graphic novel translated by Sofía Huitrón Martínez (Lerner/Graphic Universe) ~ Spanish [Colombia]
Faster than the Swords by Myrddin ap Dafydd, translated by Sue Walton (Carreg Gwalch) ~ Welsh [Wales]
The Days of Bluegrass Love by Edward van de Vendel, translated by Emma Rault (Levine Querido) ~ Dutch [Netherlands]
World Kid Lit 