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Back in 2014, Meytal Radzinski started Women in Translation Month to celebrate women writers publishing works in languages other than English. In the past 10 years, #WITMonth, held every August, has become a global phenomenon.
I’ve loved celebrating these incredible women in translation over the years, but I noticed that most of the books recommended are fiction. So, in honor of true stories, here are a few nonfiction books you could pick up for Women in Translation Month.
Frantumaglia: A Writer’s Journey by Elena Ferrante, Translated from Italian by Ann Goldstein
As a fan of My Brilliant Friend, I wanted to read Ferrante’s nonfiction. I picked up Frantumaglia, which contains a lot of essays that came out before the success of Ferrante’s Neapolitan quartet. These essays discuss the reception of her novel, the film adaptations, and her thoughts about written and visual arts. Since Elena Ferrante is a pseudonym, these essays often feel like secret missives as Ferrante guards her identity while still engaging with her readers’ reaction to her work. I’ve read most of Ferrante’s novels and found it fascinating to see the publishing process from Ferrante’s perspective.
In Other Words by Jhumpa Lahiri, Translated from Italian by Ann Goldstein
Jhumpa Lahiri is one of my favorite authors, so when I heard she was learning to write in Italian, I felt incredibly sad that I couldn’t read it. But I shouldn’t have worried. Ann Goldstein, who is also Elena Ferrante’s translator, translated In Other Words into English. If you’re like me, you’re probably wondering why Lahiri didn’t translate the text herself. Lahiri has stated that she wants readers to get a more accurate perception of her skills in Italian. This book is cleverly formatted to include the English translation on one side and the original Italian on the other. The topics of the essays mainly focus on Lahiri’s relationship with the Italian language and her motivation for learning it. This book is perfect for any language nerd.
I Want to Die but I Want to Eat Tteokbokki: A Memoir by Baek Sehee, Translated from Korean by Anton Hur
In this bestselling memoir, Baek Sehee describes her experience grappling with depression. While on the outside, she seems to have the perfect life as a social media director for a publishing house, on the inside, she finds herself sinking into her depression. I Want to Die but I Want to Eat Tteokbokki follows her experience seeking help and her efforts fighting for a better life. The book ends on a hopeful note, but Baek Sehee’s story continues in I Want to Die but Still I Want to Eat Tteokbokki. In her second book, she details her ongoing struggle with depression as her mental health spirals and she must learn new ways to cope with her fears and anxieties.
In Reading Color
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You can find me over on my substack Winchester Ave, over on Instagram @kdwinchester, or on my podcast Read Appalachia. As always, feel free to drop me a line at kendra.d.winchester@gmail.com. For even MORE bookish content, you can find my articles over on Book Riot.