The Tribune

By ALICIA WALLACE

Women in Translation Month is a time to highlight women authors whose work is translated and direct readers to that work. There is no shortage of excellent books to read. The genres, lengths, and subject matter vary greatly. Today, we can easily enjoy books that were originally written in wide range of languages, from Spanish to Japanese, thanks to the translation work undertaken by people who are committed to conveying meaning.

Winner of the International Booker Prize 2024 Jenny Erpenbeck said, “There are so many lives not only to discover but to dive into by reading – so called “other” worlds that by turning page after page become familiar to you, since we all are human beings and live on one planet.”

Jhumpa Lahiri, author of Translating Myself and Others, called translating the “most profound, most intimate way of reading.” She said, “A translation is a wonderful, dynamic encounter between two languages, two texts, two writers. It entails a doubling, a renewal... It was a way of getting close to different languages, of feeling connected to writers very distant from me in space and time.”

Here are nine books in translation to consider reading this month:

I Who Have Never Known Men by Jacqueline Harpman. Can a story of sisterhood come from a girl who is locked in an underground bunker with 39 women, none of whom know how they got there? Originally published in 1995, this book is now on many lists of must-read books. Rod Schwartz, translator of the book, said, “I guess it just strikes a chord with the younger generation, which it didn’t at the time – and whether that’s to do with publicity or whether it’s completely random, I don’t know. That’s one of the wonderful things about publishing – you never know.”

That Salt on the Tongue to Say Mangrove by Jasmine V. Bailey. The publisher said, “Mangrove forests grow on coastlines, with root systems that hold them upright in the unstable grounds where land and water meet. That Salt on the Tongue to Say Mangrove draws on the in-between nature of these trees to explore spaces between—between a foot and the floor, a cup of coffee and its dish, a face and the shoulder of a couple on a motorbike. These are poems that dwell in the tidal movement between saying and what’s left unsaid.”

Human Acts by Han Kang. Chicago Review of Books called Human Acts “pristine, expertly paced, and gut-wrenching” and The Nation said it is “unique in the intensity and scale of this brutality.” This is the story of the survivors and victims of the 1980 Gwangju uprising of students in South Korea. Kang’s The Vegetarian was the first book Feminist Book Club, hosted by Equality Bahamas and Poinciana Paper Press read in 2025, and every member would agree that she is adept at evoking feelings that are visceral and disturbing.

Here is a Body by Basma Abdel Aziz. This is quite an interesting book to read and discuss, given the times that we are living through. The description by the publisher said, “Mysterious men are rounding up street children and enrolling them in a so-called “rehabilitation program,” designed to indoctrinate them for the military-backed regime’s imminent crackdown on its opponents. Across town, thousands of protesters encamp in a city square demanding the return of the recently deposed president.” This is a particularly interested translated work since, as noted by reviewer Rawad Alhashmi, it is quite unusual that the children in the novel speak formal Arabic—acquired through formal education—rather than their native dialect, and translator Jonathan Wright was able to deliver the English translation with this peculiar effect.

Woman, Life, Freedom by Marjane Satrapi. Do you remember the story of Mahsa Amini, the young woman arrested by the morality police in 2022 in Iran? This book is a collection of graphic storytelling by more than 20 artists, journalists, activists, and academics, all focused on the uprising of the Iranian people. BookPage said, “The visual medium enhances the storytelling and creates an immersive reading experience that accessibly communicates information.”

On the Calculation of Volume by Solvej Balle. What is it like to fall through the cracks of time? What if it is November 18, every single day? That is Tara’s life. On the Calculation of Volume is a planned septology, so Winner of the Nordic Council Prize, the first two volumes have been published with the third due in English in November 2025. Five of the books have been written in Danish thus far, and they are currently being translated in 20 countries. One reviewer said, “I wasn’t planning to read this book so quickly, but it sucked me in and I couldn’t put it down. This is a literary book, despite it’s fantastical premise[…]”

The Woman in the Purple Skirt by Natsuko Imamura. The publisher said, “Someone is following her, always perched just out of sight, monitoring which buses she takes; what she eats; whom she speaks to. But this invisible observer isn’t a stalker – it’s much more complicated than that.”

Kitchen by Banana Yoshimoto. A little more than one year ago, I was beginning to steadily feed my curiosity about short novels. Browsing a bookstore, I came across Kitchen. Its hot pink cover with kitchen utensils on it already told a story. First published in Japan in 1987, Kitchen is the story of two mothers. It includes love, tragedy, and grief. Yoshimoto, who wrote while holding a job as a waitress, was celebrated as a talented young writer. Kitchen has even been developed into what is recognized as a cult film.

The Tokyo Suite by Giovana Madalosso. The title may mislead you. This novel is set in Brazil. Cora disappeared with Maju, her nanny. It takes some time for Cora’s mother to notice. “Her marriage is strained, and she finds solace in an affair, distancing herself further from her family. Meanwhile, her husband, overwhelmed by the complexities of their domestic life, remains emotionally detached[…] Madalosso’s narrative delves deep into the human psyche, examining themes of maternal guilt, societal expectations, and the search for personal identity.”

Check local bookstores for these and other translated books by women. If you have to order online, make an effort to support independent bookstores.