This month, August, is a chance to celebrate women in translation, specifically women authors who’s works have been translated. There’s so much good translated literature out there. For this month, I’ll be sharing some inspiration from women authors all around the world who have had their work translated into English.
I know a lot of people read works translated from English (or other languages) into their own language. There’s so much important translation work that needs to be done to make works more accessible to the world. But since I only read in English, I’m going to be highlighting works that have been translated into English.
For two weeks, this and last, I want to highlight classic works of literature from around the world that have been translated into English. I’m breaking it into two parts, the first (last week) was from European authors, and this week will be from all around the world.
When I was doing research for these posts, there were far more classics translated from European authors. I guess it’s not much of a surprise, especially with the English-speaking world’s connection with Europe, but it does show a discrepancy in the availability of classics from all areas of the world.
There are numerous reasons why there are far fewer translations from outside of Europe. From colonial impacts encouraged by the delusional belief of Western supremacy, to local cultures or traditions that might have leaned more towards oral storytelling instead of written.
Art lost to history
Whenever I think about the stories and literature lost to time, I’m so saddened by the understanding that there’s so much we’re missing out on. There are so many individuals who had stories to tell or could’ve created incredible works of art that never got the chance due to lack of funds or opportunities. Maybe they were able to create for those around them, those they loved or just for themselves, and maybe that’s enough.
I guess what breaks my heart is that we’ll never have a clear understanding of all people at that time, only those with privilege or power have remained. There are so many perspectives, thoughts, and understandings throughout history that have been lost and now we can only imagine what they might be.
That’s why I think it’s important to seek out different perspectives. There may not be as many translated works from certain areas of the world, but those that exist are valuable and important.
I’ve selected books from all over the world covering Asia, Latin America, and Africa. But this is only a list of five books, so it’s just a tiny selection of all the books out there.
Think of this as a jumping off point, or a source of inspiration to look for more modern classic books in translation from around the world.
Five translated modern classic books by women around the world
Here’s a list of five translated classic books with women authors from around the world.
- A Riot of Goldfish / 金魚撩乱 by Kanoko Okamoto / 岡本かの子 (1937)
Japan - Selected Poems of Gabriela Mistral by Gabriela Mistral (1941)
Chile - Love in a Fallen City / 傾城之戀 by Eileen Chang / 張愛玲 (1946)
China - Pinjar: The Skeleton and Other Stories / ਪਿੰਜਰ by Amrita Pritam (1950)
India - So Long a Letter / Une si longue lettre by Mariama Bâ (1979)
Senegal
Keep reading to find out more about each one. I’ve listed them in order of when they were published.
A Riot of Goldfish / 金魚撩乱, Kingyo ryōran (1937) – Japan
by Kanoko Okamoto / 岡本かの子,
Translated from the Japanese by J. Keith Vincent
- Year Published: 1937
- Storygraph Categories:
fiction, short stories, lighthearted, reflective, slow-paced - Okamoto was an active member of the feminist group Bluestockings (青踏社, Seitōsha)
In early 20th-century Japan, the son of lower-class goldfish sellers falls in love with the beautiful daughter of his rich patron. After he is sent away to study the science of goldfish breeding, with strict orders to return and make his patron’s fortune, he vows to devote his life to producing one ideal, perfect goldfish specimen to reflect his loved-one’s beauty. This poignant and deft tale is presented along with the story of a pauper from Kyoto who teaches himself to be an accomplished chef.
Links:
- You can find out more on:
- Goodreads
- Storygraph
- Wikipedia
- You can buy the book here on Amazon.
Selected Poems of Gabriela Mistral (1941) – Chile
by Gabriela Mistral,
Translated from the Spanish (Chile) by Doris Dana, alternative translations done by Langston Hughes and Ursula Le Guin
- Year Published: 1941
- Storygraph Categories:
fiction, poetry, challenging, emotional, reflective, fast-paced - Gabriela Mistral was the first Latin American ever to receive the Nobel Prize for Literature
- Gabriela Mistral was the pseudonym of Lucila Godoy Alcayaga
Gabriela Mistral was the first Latin American ever to receive the Nobel Prize for Literature, and her works are among the finest in all contemporary poetry. She is loved and honored throughout the world as one of the great humanistic voices of our time.
This bilingual edition of selected poems was translated and edited by Doris Dana, a close personal friend with whom Gabriela lived and worked with prior to her death in 1957. These translations give a profound insight into the original poetry of this greatest of contemporary Latin American women. They were selected from her four major works ‘Desolación’, ‘Ternura’, ‘Tala’, and ‘Lagar’.
Links:
- You can find out more on:
- You can buy the book here on Amazon.
Love in a Fallen City / 傾城之戀 (1946) – China
by Eileen Chang / 張愛玲,
Translated from the Chinese by Karen S. Kingsbury
- Year Published: 1946
English version in 2006 - Storygraph Categories:
fiction, classics, short stories, emotional, mysterious, reflective, slow-paced
Eileen Chang is one of the great writers of twentieth-century China, where she enjoys a passionate following both on the mainland and in Taiwan. At the heart of Chang’s achievement is her short fiction—tales of love, longing, and the shifting and endlessly treacherous shoals of family life. Written when Chang was still in her twenties, these extraordinary stories combine an unsettled, probing, utterly contemporary sensibility, keenly alert to sexual politics and psychological ambiguity, with an intense lyricism that echoes the classics of Chinese literature. Love in a Fallen City, the first collection in English of this dazzling body of work, introduces American readers to the stark and glamorous vision of a modern master.
Links:
- You can find out more on:
- Goodreads
- Storygraph
- Wikipedia
- You can buy the book here on Amazon.
Pinjar: The Skeleton and Other Stories / ਪਿੰਜਰ (1950) – India
by Amrita Pritam
Translated from the Punjabi by Khushwant Singh
- Year Published: 1950
- Storygraph Categories:
fiction, classics, challenging, reflective, slow-paced
Brought together in this volume are two of the most moving novels by one of India’s greatest women writers The Skeleton and The Man. The Skeleton, translated from Punjabi into English by Khushwant Singh, is memorable for its lyrical style and depth in her writing. Amrita Pritam portrays the most inmost being of the novel s complex characters. The Man is a compelling account of a young man born under strange circumstances and abandoned at the altar of God.
Links:
- You can find out more on:
- You can buy the book here on Amazon.
So Long a Letter / Une si longue lettre (1979) – Senegal
by Mariama Bâ,
Translated from the French (Senegal) by Modupé Bodé-Thomas
- Year Published: 1979
- Storygraph Categories:
fiction, classics, literary, emotional, reflective, slow-paced - Focuses on the condition of women in Western African society (post-colonial times)
- Won the first Noma Award for Publishing in Africa in 1980
So Long a Letter is a sequence of reminiscences, some wistful, some bitter, recounted by Senegalese school teacher Ramatoulaye, who has recently been widowed. The letter, addressed to her old friend Aissatou, is a record of her emotional struggle for survival after her husband’s abrupt decision to take a second wife. Although sanctioned by Islam, his action is a calculated betrayal of her trust and a brutal rejection of their life together. The novel is a perceptive testimony to the plight of those articulate women who live in social milieux dominated by attitudes and values that deny them their proper place.
Links:
- You can find out more on:
- Goodreads
- Storygraph
- Wikipedia
- You can buy the book here on Amazon.
Final thoughts
I hope you found something of interest in this list of classic translated books written by women from around the world.
I’m always looking for more suggestions of books to read. If you have a favourite translated classic book written by a woman, please feel free to share it in a comment below!
Have you read any of these books? What did you think of the book?
I’d love to hear your thoughts in a comment below.
