Independent Foreign Fiction Prize long list:
Sinan Antoon The Corpse Washer (Arabic; translated by the author) Yale University Press
Hassan Blasim The Iraqi Christ (Arabic; trans. Jonathan Wright) Comma Press
Julia Franck Back to Back (German; trans. Anthea Bell) Harvill Secker
Sayed Kashua Exposure (Hebrew; trans. Mitch Ginsberg) Chatto & Windus
Hiromi Kawakami Strange Weather in Tokyo (Japanese; trans. Allison Markin Powell) Portobello Books
Karl Ove Knausgaard A Man in Love (Norwegian; trans. Don Bartlett) Harvill Secker
Andrej Longo Ten (Italian; trans. Howard Curtis) Harvill Secker
Ma Jian The Dark Road (Chinese; trans. Flora Drew) Chatto & Windus
Andreï Makine Brief Loves that Live Forever (French; trans. Geoffrey Strachan) MacLehose Press
Javier Marías The Infatuations (Spanish; trans. Margaret Jull Costa) Hamish Hamilton
Hubert Mingarelli A Meal in Winter (French; trans. Sam Taylor) Portobello Books
Yoko Ogawa Revenge (Japanese; trans. Stephen Snyder) Harvill Secker
Audur Ava Ólafsdóttir Butterflies in November (Icelandic; trans. Brian FitzGibbon) Pushkin Press
Jón Kalman Stefánsson The Sorrow of Angels (Icelandic; trans. Philip Roughton) MacLehose Press
Birgit Vanderbeke The Mussel Feast (German; trans. Jamie Bulloch) Peirene Press
I am so thrilled to be reading this for the Shadow IFFP 2014 with Stu, Tony, Jacqui, Dan, David, and Tony. Follow us on Twitter at #IFFP.
The change of The Briefcase to Strange Weather in Tokyo still puzzles me? XD And this list reminds me I have to read Revenge and a Dutch translation of The Sorrow of Angels has been on my shelf for too long…
I'll follow on Twitter 🙂
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The change of title for Hiromi Kawakami's book baffles me as well, not to mention even the cover! The Briefcase is a lovely, tranquil blue and white scene of peace, and here we have something almost out of Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon through a store no less.
I didn't like Revenge at all; far too much darkness for me.
As for the others, I'm so eager to begin reading them. The discussions promise to be interesting.
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Ack – is it me, or are the lists for awards this year really impressive! I wish I had the time to get to these, but as it stands, I've been waiting for Revenge to come in at the library forever. I also love to see short story collections make it to these awards.
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I looove the Strange Weather in Tokyo cover. I've seen that photographer around and his work never gets old.
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Thanks for the links. Now to go check them out.
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I'm delighted to be participating in the shadowing and looking forward to sharing thoughts on the books! I've read four of them thus far: Strange Weather in Tokyo, Revenge, The Mussel Feast and The Infatuations (which I loved very much).
Lots of fab reading ahead of us!
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I agree, the lists are very impressive. And, enticing! Our ridiculous local library only has three of the fifteen, and I'll hope to buy the rest for my kindle/nook as digital editions. Revenge is an interesting work. There's one phrase in a story, something about fingers like carrots, which is so ghastly I won't forget it.
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Hmmm, I have no idea who the photographer is. I guess I've just been absorbed by the words inside. 😉
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It took me a surprisingly long time to attach a picture and the publisher's link to each title, so I'm glad they're helpful to you, Mystica. To me, the pictures and titles have to go together in an introduction, otherwise it all feels so nebulous.
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Jacqui, thanks for visiting me here. I'm halfway through The Infatuations and practically feel there's no need to continue through the rest of the list as I like it so very much. Of course, that won't be the case, but it makes me laugh because last year I only read one book (The Detour) and it won the IFFP for 2013. 🙂
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Just read the synopsis for Butterflies in November. It sounds like something I would enjoy, so I'm hopeful I can get a copy at work. Great list, Bellezza!
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I want to read that one, too! Well, of course I want to read all of them, but Butterflies in November more than some. I'm having some trouble finding it, as usual with translated fiction, and so I suspect I'll buy a copy from the UK on amazon.com If you can't find it, and I buy it, I'll send you my copy when done.
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If you wind up getting a copy, I'll go in halves with you. It doesn't look like I can get it at work. No rush, either. I have plenty here to keep me busy.
BTW, you sent me your copy of Rainbow Rowell's Attachments, didn't you? I'm so far behind with reviews, but I have to tell you I loved it! Now to read The Boys in the Boat and We Are Water.
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What an eclectic mix of books. I loved Revenge by Ogawa (which I know you didn't like, because of the darkness of the stories) and am definitely intrigued by Strange Weather in Tokyo. I can't wait to read your reviews for these books!
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Hi Bellezza a wonderful collection of reads. Thoroughly enjoyed The Mussel Feast & have Ogawa's as I'm a fan of her writing. Glad to see you got involved & enjoy it as it's great fun & you may get to read books you wouldn't normally pick, I did.
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I'm wondering if I should revisit Revenge. You're right, I didn't like it, but if I only hold darkness against it, I might as well not read any of the IFFP long list. So many of them are dark. Despairing. Still, so worth reading for the point of view.
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Well, you know Gary, how I stood on the sidelines last year when you and Stu and others were knee deep in the IFFP, and I looked on longingly. I had to immerse myself fully this time, and I have dragged my mother in as well. Who is joyfully reading, and discussing, every book with me. Now all we need is you. 😉
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