Declining book sales in Japan, year-end reading from 50 publishers, and more

News, Reviews, and Interviews

Libyan poet and translator Khaled Mattawa was recently announced as one of the MacArthur Foundation Genius Grant recipients, and in an interview with NPR, he talks about the translations that informed and inspired his writing style.

We wish congratulations to 2013 Puterbaugh Fellow Maaza Mengiste and Joanne Leedom-Ackerman for being nominated to the Words Without Borders Board of Directors!

Translator Maureen Freely talks about getting lost in translation for the Guardian this week.

What makes Russian literature of the 19th century so distinctive? Two writers attempt to answer the question in 650 words or less for the New York Times Bookends.

Japan’s book market may be in trouble: reports show declining numbers of publishers, bookstores, and overall revenues over the past 15 years.

This week, the world said good-bye to beloved children’s author Norman Bridwell, who famously created the Clifford the Red Dog book series.

For Your Calendar

For our readers in the UK, entries for the Mslexia Short Story Prize Competition are now open for short stories of 2,200 words or less.

Submissions to the PEN/Heim Translation Fund, which honors translators each year with monetary grants, are now open and being accepted until January 15.

Fun Finds and Inspiration

Looking for an inclusive year-end reading list? This year, Three Percent chose 50 books from 50 publishers to highlight the year’s best reads. (And stay tuned for our annual year-end reading list, the 75 Notable Translations of 2014, coming to our blog very soon!)

Want to influence the world? This map will show you which languages are most used around the world.