Hermans on Fiction Shortlist (update)
[January 28: The Darkroom of Damocles is one of the 10 finalists, winner and runner-ups to be announced on February 19th]
The Darkroom of Damocles by Willem Frederik Hermans, translated from the Dutch by Ina Rilke (Overlook) is one of the 25 titles on the Best Translated Book of the Year Fiction Longlist. This list was published last week on the Three Percent website.
This award, which started last year in reaction to the lack of international titles on “best of the year” lists, was created to bring attention to the great works of international literature being published in the United States. Criteria used in selecting these titles include the quality of the work itself, along with the quality of the translation. This is the only award in America honoring international literature that is given to the book itself.
The 2008 Best Translated Book of the Year Fiction Longlist reflects the vibrancy and high quality of the books in translation being published in the United States. Featuring authors from all over the world, including Nobel Prize winners and first-time novelists, and published by presses of all sizes, this longlist will be narrowed down to ten finalists on January 27th, with a winner being announced at a reception on February 19th at the Melville House offices in Brooklyn, NY.
“Fans of international literature spend most of the year grumbling about how few books in translation are published here in the States,” said Chad W. Post, one of the judges and curator of Three Percent. “It’s nice to spend a couple months celebrating the great books that did make their way into English. And since there’s an inevitable time-lag in books getting translated, we can create a list that includes established classic authors like Marcel Proust and Halldór Laxness along with newcomers Céline Curiol and Horacio Castellanos Moya. And a host of great translators as well, such as Gregory Rabassa, Charlotte Mandell, and Tim Wilkinson.”
More information
- Best Translated Book of 2008: The Fiction Longlist
- Willem Frederik Hermans: The Darkroom of Damocles
- Hermans page on website Overlook Press
The Darkroom of Damocles (Overlook)