Posing and Passing in Translation: From Amara Lakhous to Elena Ferrante and Jhumpa Lahiri
The essay examines how "posing" and "passing" function as narrative and linguistic strategies in contemporary Italian literature, focusing on three exophonic works: Amara Lakhous’s *Clash of Civilizations Over an Elevator in Piazza Vittorio* (2006), Elena Ferrante’s Neapolitan novels (2011‑2014), and Jhumpa Lahiri’s *In Other Words* (2015). Each text explores immigrant or internal migrant identities through self‑translation, language acquisition, and the performance of Italianness, while all three share Ann Goldstein as their English translator. The analysis links these literary cases to broader debates about multilingualism, trauma, and the construction of national identity in a globalized world.
Linguistic Acts: Yoko Tawada’s “Paul Celan and the Trans-Tibetan Angel,” Translated From the German by Susan Bernofsky
Yoko Tawada’s 2024 novel *Paul Celan and the Trans‑Tibetan Angel*—published by New Directions and translated from German by Susan Bernofsky—uses a COVID‑19 lockdown backdrop to explore language, identity, and friendship. The story follows Patrik, a Berlin scholar obsessed with poet Paul Celan, whose...
Mariana Enriquez’s Graveyard Adventures in “Somebody Is Walking on Your Grave: My Cemetery Journeys,” Translated From Spanish by Megan McDowell
Mariana Enriquez’s new non‑fiction work, *Somebody is Walking on Your Grave*, chronicles her visits to 21 cemeteries across five continents, using each site as a portal to explore personal memory and Argentina’s turbulent history. The narrative intertwines travel observations with...
A SPRINGTIME OF HER OWN MAKING: ÁLLEX LEILLA’S “SPRINGTIME IN THE BONES,” TRANSLATED FROM PORTUGUESE BY AMANDA SARASIEN
Állex Leilla’s novel *Springtime in the Bones*, translated by Amanda Sarasien, was released this month, adding a stark literary voice to Brazil’s escalating fight against gender‑based violence. The story follows Luísa, a professional in Salvador who, after being robbed, beaten, and...
Silence Speaks in Egana Djabbarova’s “My Dreadful Body,” Translated From Russian by Lisa C. Hayden
Egana Djabbarova’s autobiographical novel *My Dreadful Body*—translated from Russian by Lisa C. Hayden—examines how an Azerbaijani‑Russian woman’s body becomes a canvas for cultural expectations, gendered silence, and a debilitating dystonia. Structured around eleven body parts, the memoir juxtaposes inherited symbols—eyebrows,...
When Life Gives You Lemons: Mieko Kawakami’s “Sisters in Yellow,” Translated From Japanese by Laurel Taylor and Hitomi Yoshio
Mieko Kawakami’s latest novel *Sisters in Yellow* (2023 Japanese, 2026 English) follows Hana Ito and three other women navigating precarious 1990s Tokyo after the bubble burst. The story intertwines unemployment, solitary deaths, and the care crisis with a feminist ethics...
Looking Through Historical Residue: Maïssa Bey’s “Blue White Green,” Translated by Erin Twohig
Maïssa Bey’s novel *Blue White Green*, set in post‑independence Algiers, will be released in English in April 2026, translated by Georgetown professor Erin Twohig. The narrative follows Lilas and Ali, whose intertwined lives mirror Algeria’s shift from French colonial rule through...