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Originally published (France 1998) for young adults, Piero traces the lives of two boys through awkward schoolyard encounters, burgeoning sexuality and a lot of drawing. It’s a bittersweet tale ranking amongst the very best in Baudoin’s powerful oeuvre. Translated into English for the first time.
This beautiful bedtime tale is perfect for encouraging sweet dreams and banishing nightmares. The luminous illustrations by much-loved artist Daniela Drescher will make this a new night-time favourite.
First published last year in German as All der Sandmann fast versclaffen hatte
Daniela Drescher’s German website >>>>>
Eight titles have been selected from nearly 200 submissions from around the world.
The shortlist showcases outstanding books for children age 6-12 picked for their literary merit as well as commercial potential. All shortlisted titles have been partially translated (available to read by viewing the titles below) and World English Language Rights are available to buy. A marketing bursary of £1500 is available from BookTrust to support the UK publication of each of the shortlisted titles.
Three Honour Titles – books that are highly recommended for English translation and publication – will be revealed on 11th April at London Book Fair with Children’s Laureate Lauren Child and former Children’s Laureate Chris Riddell.
The world’s biggest kung fu fantasy writer, Jin Yong enjoys huge popularity in the Chinese-speaking world. In the west, however, his name is barely known, largely due to the complexity of the world he has created and the puzzle that has posed for translators.
Now, for the first time, the beginning of his extraordinarily popular series, Legends of the Condor Heroes, has been translated into English for a mainstream readership. It is a task that has already defeated several translators, yet Anna Holmwood, 32, from Edinburgh has managed it – or at least the first volume. Her British publisher, MacLehose Press, plans a 12-volume series, with Holmwood’s first volume, A Hero Born, due out in February.
via The Guardian A hero reborn: ‘China’s Tolkien’ aims to conquer western readers | Books | The Guardian.
It was a pleasure once again to be invited to Books In Translation at Europe House, the culminating event of The Children’s Bookshow, now in its 15th year.
Nicolette Jones was in conversation (discussing “What makes a book a good candidate for translation and what are the steps needed to launch it into the world”) with
In the second discussion, which I attended, Sara Dugdale, poet & translator, was in conversation with
This was a delightfully “baggy talk” (Dugdale’s own description) with each of the participants given space to contribute. Ostashevsky, who has lived in America since the age of 10, told us his experience of Soviet literature was as a Soviet child, and that when he was growing up the offerings were old-fashioned and traditional. He remembered versions of Don Quixote and (this surprised the audience) Rabelais. These he conceded were recreations and abridgements rather than true translations.
Alexis Deacon, unsurprisingly, said his taste as a child had already been visual. He particularly enjoyed the French comics Lucky Luke, despite not having a clue what the words said.
Ostashevsky said that in Russia children’s literature has historically provided a source of income for poets and artists unable to sustain themselves by their adult-related endeavours.
Timo Parvela, who painted a gloomy picture of children’s literature in Finland (plummeting sales, an audience more interested in games than books) said that he has been writing for 30 years but that it was only two years ago that his work was first translated into English, for a New Zealand publisher (Bicycling to the Moon Gecko Press).
The Children’s Bookshow, headed up by Sian Williams, is an organisation that arranges an annual tour of children’s authors and illustrators. The tour takes place in the autumn and coincides with Children’s Book Week. It is funded by Arts Council England and private trusts, including the Unwin Charitable Trust.
Niolette Jones, speaking after the talk sessions, told those assembled the good news that the Bookshow has received Arts Council funding for a further four years.
The aim of The Children’s Bookshow is to foster a lifelong love of literature in children by bringing them the best writers and illustrators to inspire and guide them. The first Children’s Bookshow came about as a way of celebrating some of the books and authors that were featured in a book entitled Simply the Best Books for Children, published in 2003 by the Centre for Literacy in Primary Education. The event was such a success that, the following year, a second tour was organised. And now the fifteenth.
The latest release from The New York Review Children’s Collection, a highly recommended series of red-cloth-spined hardbacks.
Originally published in 1989 as Der satanarchaolugenialkohllische Wunschpunsch this is both a fast-paced fantasy and a whimsical satire of bureaucracy and its discontents. It’s estimated that Ende’s books have sold more than 35 million copies worldwide.
The third album created by Ferri and Conrad continuing the legacy of Asterix more than 58 years after its creation.
A wonderful picture book by a Belgian author-illustrator team from the wonderful Book Island, an indie publisher (originally from New Zealand but now based in Bristol) with high production values focused on building bridges between cultures.
Rosemary would rather be given roller skates than a fairy’s wand. She’d prefer to be a witch than a fairy. And so she decides to run away and join the witches to do witchy things. She enjoys herself a great deal but eventually decides to take the best of both worlds and become a witchfairy.
Originally published as Heksenfee, the translation has been published with financial support from Flanders Literature.
ACHUKA is committed to promoting children’s books in translation. All books in translation added to our listings will also appear in the News section of the blog to maximise exposure.
This is a bestselling Spanish children’s book about nature, friendship imagination and art, now available in a beautifully presented English language translation from Neem Tree Press.
The trees are disappearing and the adults don’t care. Toletis, his dog Amenophis and friends Claudia and Tutan are on a mission to turn their little valley town, set deep in the mountains, lusciously green again. The odds are stacked against them. Can they succeed …with some very unusual help?
Written with a deep appreciation for nature, art, language, music, friendship, family, the passing of time, old age, loneliness, and the importance of sitting still and reflecting on life.
As the cover says, apt for ages 7 to 107.
China’s publishers of children’s books have burst on to the international publishing scene as major players. Book Expo America in New York has had a significant Chinese presence since 2015, while Italy’s Bologna Book Fair, the premier childrens lit event in the book industry, has declared China itsguest of honor for 2018.
This past decade has become known as the golden age of publishing of children’s books in China. In 2003, the country had only 20 publishers specializing in children’s books. That number now has jumped to more than580. Some may consider the market saturated, but what we are seeing now is a switch to emphasizing quality over quantity and a focus on producing more original content.
In the year 2000, Harry Potter was translated into Chinese, sparking a major trend in importing translated children’s books from the West. In the years that followed, many foreign works became staples of children’s bookshelves, whether in translation or used for English practice.
Popular titles include Peppa Pig (which my neighbor’s five-year-old son in Changzhou absolutely loved), The Magic School Bus picture book, and Disney Baby Story Book. While these continue to outsell local works, there are a good number of Chinese authors of children’s books enjoying significant success. These include Shen Shixi, author of Dream of Being a Wolf King and a series of Animal Novels, and Leiou Huanxiang, author of Monster Master and Charlie IX & Dodomo. As the market continues to grow, I expect to see more and more Chinese authors stepping up to create quality content for kids.
via More kids, fewer tests make China’s children’s books boom | MENAFN.COM.
