Tag: Translation

This Week in Literary News, Week of November 8

Things have been… interesting in the US recently, and there will certainly be. some stories to tell about the last four years. As the Associated Press reports, “In 2021 and beyond, look for waves of releases about the Trump administration and about the president’s loss to Democratic candidate Joe Biden.” But as for a book from Trump himself, “Several publishers told the AP that they don’t believe Trump will have the same global appeal as former President Barack Obama […] Any publisher signing with Trump or a top administration official might face the anger not just of Trump critics among the general public, but from within the industry.”

Scholastic announced a three-book deal with Ruby Bridges. Bridges, who at age six de-segregated New Orleans’ all-white William Frantz Elementary School on November 14, 1960, will “pen three new picture books to bring her trailblazing story to a new generation of children,” Publishers Weekly reports. Sadly, this week saw the death of Bridges’ mother Lucille. Of her own childhood, Lucille told the Courier-Journal in a 2009 interview, “The bus would come pick up the white kids, but I couldn’t go to school. I would watch them go with tears in my eyes. I prayed if I ever got married, I wanted my kids to go to school.”   Continue reading “This Week in Literary News, Week of November 8”

Celebrating International Translation Day

It’s International Translation Day, a global day of celebrating “the work of language professionals.” We’ve been excited to celebrate National Translation Month this month, and this is a perfect way to close out September. International Translation Month is a time to shine a light on the wonderful translators who have helped us and our authors bring global literature to even more readers. Continue reading “Celebrating International Translation Day”

This Week in Literary News

The impact from the devastating fires across the Western United States has extended to bookstores and publishers, Publishers Weekly reports. “This is a very scary time to be a bookseller and a small business owner,” says Kit Steinaway, the programs manager at the Book Industry Charitable Foundation (BINC). The article notes some ways that you can help, including by donating to BINC, an organization that provides aids to booksellers during fire season. If you’d like information about other organizations that can use your help, this article at The Cut offers some suggestions.

The Farm by Max Annas

This month is National Translation Month, and we’re proud to publish the English-language translations of several fantastic books. National Translation Month falls right after Women in Translation Month, so if you’re looking to read globally, there have been so many great suggestions over the past two months. Over at CLMP, there’s been two round-ups of books from indie publishers, and we’re in both! Sacrificed by Chanette Paul (translated by Elsa Silke) has a spot on the Women in Translation list, while The Wall by Max Annas, translated by Rachel Hildebrandt Reynolds is on the National Translation Month list. And speaking of Max, his latest thriller, The Farm, also translated by Rachel, released earlier this week! Congratulations, Max!

The Theory of Flight by Siphiwe Gloria Ndlovu

Max gets double congratulations this week, as his German-language thriller, Morduntersuchungskommission was named the winner of the 2020 Cologne Crime Award. And in other award news, the Booker Prize has released its shortlist. Of the six nominated shortlisted books for the prestigious award, four are from debut authors, four are women-authored, and two are by African authors, including Tsitsi Dangarembga’s This Mournable Body. Aside from being fans of her work, Tsitsi is special here at Catalyst since she graciously provided a blurb for our forthcoming release The Theory of Flight by Siphiwe Gloria Ndlovu. Tsitsi called Siphiwe’s debut “A dazzling novel of delicate and astonishing magic.” The Theory of Flight is out in January. Continue reading “This Week in Literary News”

This Week in Literary News, Week of June 14

In support of Black Lives Matter and Juneteenth, the hashtags #BlackPublishingPower and #BlackoutBestsellerList have been trending, encouraging people to buy books by Black authors and from Black-owned bookstores from June 14-June 20.

If you’re unsure which books to buy for your children or teens on the topic of anti-racism, Publishers Weekly released a list. The lengthy list encompasses both non-fiction and fiction titles, and spans picture books to novels. At Catalyst, we also published a smaller list, including adult books and organizations to support, should you wish.

The National Book Critics Circle’s board fell apart this past week over charges of internal racism. Almost 2/3 of the board members resigned, and the remaining board has committed itself to doing the hard work of changing its structure and approach to be specifically anti-racist.

In censorship news: This week, the highest-ranked leader in the land, our President, attempted to ban a book by John Bolton, the former national security adviser. The book purportedly offers an insider’s view on the President’s egregious behavior. Mr. Trump claims that the book reveals classified secrets and should not be released. Advocates for its release argue that if he successfully bans the book, it will undo decades of free speech precedent. Court hearings began June 19th.

In Catalyst Press news, we released Bitter Pill by Peter Church this week. Bitter Pill is the third installment in his Dark Web Trilogy, and continues our African Crime Reads series. Publishers Weekly has praised Bitter Pill, writing, “Church expertly juggles the multiple story lines all the way to the sordid, frantic maelstrom of the denouement.” You can read an excerpt from the novel at CrimeReads.

Last but not least, sales of audiobooks have been moving upward for the last several years and continue to rise. We have several of our books available as audiobooks, including Small Mercies by Bridget Krone, Crackerjack by Peter Church, The Wall by Max Annas and translated by Rachel Hildebrandt Reynolds, and in a couple of months, Unmaking Grace by Barbara Boswell.

Book Tour: Max Annas

This month, author Max Annas (The Wall, The Farm) is heading South. Through a collaboration with Goethe-Institut, an organization promoting German cultural exchange abroad, Max will be appearing at various locations in South Carolina, Alabama, and Georgia. Times and locations are still being finalized, so check back for updates!

 

 

Monday, February 17: Wofford College, Spartanburg, SC
Monday, February 17: Hub City Books, Spartanburg, SC
Wednesday, February 19: University of Alabama, Tuscaloosa, AL
Thursday, February 20: Auburn University, Auburn, AL
Saturday, February 22: Goethe-Zentrum, Atlanta, GA

Coming in 2020: Upcoming Releases Part 2

A few months ago, we covered what you’ll be seeing from us in the first half of 2020. And if we did the math right, that means we owe you news about six more months of releases. So here it is! We think we’ve got something for every kind of reader — from those reading their very first books, to those who’ve been reading for just a little bit longer. Many of these books are available for pre-order now. Continue reading “Coming in 2020: Upcoming Releases Part 2”

From the Editor’s Desk…

A few months ago, we introduced a semi-regular feature in our newsletter called From the Editor’s Desk, in which our intrepid founder/editor/publisher/almost everything else-r, Jessica, gives our subscribers an update on all of the Catalyst Press goings-on. Since we’d like as many people as possible to stay up-to-date on our new and upcoming releases, we’ve decided to repost them here beginning with the installment that appeared in our July newsletter. These will be posted after they appear in the newsletter, so if you want to find out what’s going on before they make their way here, be sure to subscribe to our newsletter!

This summer has felt a bit like getting hit by a truck. (This actually happened to me 13 years ago, so it’s not entirely a specious comment.) My husband took the position of Dean of Language Arts at the college where I teach, which meant my 10 year teaching career at that particular college was now over. (The college has certain rules against professors sleeping with the dean.) (And no, it didn’t matter that I had taught there for 10 years prior to his becoming a dean.) (Do I sound bitter? It’s OK. I’ll miss teaching but I love my job at Catalyst.) (Aaannnd….that’s probably enough parentheses….) This led to our putting our house up for sale. We got it ready in a month and sold it in one day, all of which has left us exhausted. We are now moving and will be doing the apartment thing for awhile. It’s a whole new life in foggy California, right beside the ocean, right along the San Andreas fault.

Continue reading “From the Editor’s Desk…”