There’s lot to celebrate this week!
Wednesday was International Translation Day, the perfect excuse to celebrate Catalyst Press’ amazing translators: Rachel Hildebrandt Reynolds (translator of The Farm and The Wall by Max Annas), Elsa Silke (translator of Sacrificed by Chanette Paul), Martin Steyn (author and translator of Dark Traces), and Ivanka Hahnenberger (translator of our upcoming graphic novel Madame Livingstone). Thank you for your commitment to bringing new voices to global readers!
It’s also Banned Book Week! According to the American Library Association’s Office of Intellectual Freedom, 8 of the 10 most banned and challenged books in 2019 included LGBTQIA+ content. (And because that sucks and we could all use some queer lit, here’s Fall’s most anticipated LGBTQIA+ Young Adult books and Emily Hashimoto on writing queer romance.) Washington Post critic Ron Charles read all ten and gives a rundown. Channeling your inner Ray Bradbury? Check out the full list of the top 100 most banned and challenged books of the decade.
And from September 15 to October 15, it’s Latinx Heritage Month! Here’s some YA recommendations from Latinx authors and the Washington Post on the books to introduce you to Spanish and Latinx science fiction. Read up on a new author collab called LatinxPitch for Kid Lit encouraging Latinx and non-Latinx writers and illustrators on Twitter to pitch their ideas for picture books, chapter books, graphic novels, and young adult books featuring Latinx main characters.
We just closed up Heritage Month here in South Africa, but that doesn’t mean the festivities are ending. A new bird book from a group of isiZulu-speaking conservationists is helping South Africans learn about 550 local bird species, including their traditional Zulu names. The book was seven years in the making and an isiXhosa version is expected to follow.
In Catalyst Press news, Max Annas’ The Farm was included on CrimeReads’ Five International Crime Novels You Should Read This September and Peter Church’s CrackerJack was featured in this week’s Sunday Times ‘Book Bites’ column.
And finally, congrats to literacy non-profit Books for Africa for shipping out its 50 millionth book this week!
In celebrity news, Lili Reinhart and Lana Del Rey both have new poetry books. Mariah Carey’s memoir came out this week, Jennifer Lopez’s daughter Emme wrote a children’s book about prayer, and the Booker Prize made an unprecedented announcement that they will be moving this year’s Booker Prize winner announcement two days to make way for publishing’s biggest event of the year: the Obama memoir release. Looking to get ~literary~ while you’re on the loo? Here’s a pretty book from Wes Anderson (kind of) and a hilarious (and helpful) new bathroom book from comedian Joe Pera.
JK Rowling is back in the headlines this week. 58 authors and journalists (including Ian McEwan) penned a letter in defense of Rowling in the Sunday Times, after the #RIPJKRowling hashtag went viral in response to outrage against the author for making her most recent character “a transvestite serial killer.” Naturally, a response came through days later, with a 200-signatory letter in support of transgender and non-binary people. Speaking of Hogwarts, a first edition Harry Potter might go for $65,000. Check your shelves, people!
You might have heard that a certain President doesn’t pay his taxes. Here’s four books to learn about the US tax system. In more Trump news, here’s Bob Woodward on writing Rage, his new book on the Trump presidency released this month. And if you watched the debate this week, you probably need this: Bertrand Russell on truth, love, and the dangers of fanaticism.
Some highlights of the week: Screen Rant’s Adrienne Tyler breaks down the biggest changes in Netflix’s new film adaptation of the original Enola Holmes book, The Case of the Missing Marquess by Nancy Springer. Edinburgh’s Literary Quarter is getting a facelift, Jennifer Haigh tells us about her secret writing studio (but won’t say where it is), and Ben Goldfarb and Derek Gow talk about beavers (yes, actual beavers). For some thought-provoking reads, here’s Jonathan Atler with a fascinating story about Jimmy Carter and the politics of candor, Charlie Finch on literary criticism, and Katherine Gaudet on the privileged exclusivity of “raising young readers” that literally had me clapping. On the topic, read this interesting perspective on the exclusivity of the comic world, and The Punisher creator’s idea to get rid of it.
Angst was all the rage this week (year?). Picky eater? Hilary Fitzgerald Campbell gets you. Read about her profuse hatred of “food pushers” in this adorable comic. Learn the history of author photos and why Cornelia Powers hates her Hellenistic ancestors. Then laugh along with (or at) Jeremy Sigler as he feuds with an Apple store employee. And finally, my favorite headline of the week with the question of the year.
