By Joseph A., Public Services Assistant
February 21 marks International Mother Language Day, a day to celebrate mother languages, multilingualism, and language revitalization. The date recognizes the precarity of mother languages around the world. It is set on the 21st to commemorate the Bengali Language Movement protests of 1952, a movement that sought to preserve the Bengali language in Pakistan.
According to the latest government census data, 11.3% of Fishers residents speak another language at home, with 11.7% of residents being foreign-born. While this number is low, it is growing, nearly double the average of the state as a whole. I am fortunate to count myself among those who speak another language at home, with most of my family counting among the latter statistic.
Multilingualism and multiculturalism promote the exchange of ideas, values, and art, creating a panoramic reflection of the world we live in. The beauty of this has been apparent in the world of literary translation over the past few years. According to data collected by the Booker Foundation, the number of books published in English that were works in translation increased by 22% from 2021 to 2023, with nearly half of sales for translated fiction coming from people under 35. I find that most of what I’m reading nowadays is translated fiction.
Independent publishers are leading the charge in this movement, as the historical lack of popularity surrounding translated fiction has meant corporate publishers like Penguin Random House typically don’t want to take the risk of publishing them. Publishers like New Directions, Fitzcarraldo Editions, New York Review Books, Archipelago, And Other Stories, Dalkey Archive, Tilted Axis Press, and Deep Vellum are some of the top independent publishers putting out works of translated fiction that may not have been published by a larger publisher.
Recently, the novel No Longer Human by Japanese writer Osamu Dazai (published by New Directions) exploded in popularity among youth on BookTok (the book side of TikTok). They identified with many of the novel’s themes, leading it to become a bestseller decades after its initial translation into English. This speaks to another benefit—translated works of fiction that were published in a climate that did not see their value are now getting the recognition they deserve.
We are also seeing books appear from languages never before translated into English. Deep Vellum published Red Ants in 2020, a collection of surrealist short stories originally written in Sierra Zapotec by Pergentino Jose. Meanwhile, No Edges: Swahili Stories by Calico Press is the first anthology of short stories translated from Swahili to be published in English. Thanks to these independent publishers and the growing number of young readers captivated by translated fiction, languages in need of revitalization are having their stories shared around the world.
Next time you’re browsing the library shelves, be on the lookout for any works in translation. You might learn something new. You might see your reflection where you never expected to see it before.
12 works in translation available from Hamilton East Public Library:
No Longer Human by Osamu Dazai (Translated from the Japanese by Donald Keene)
Agua Viva by Clarice Lispector (Translated from the Portuguese by Stefan Tobler)
Red Ants by Pergentino José (Translated from the Sierra Zapotec by Thomas Bunstead)
Panics by Barbara Molinard (Translated from the French by Emma Ramadan)
No Edges: Swahili Stories by Multiple Authors & Translators
Tomb of Sand by Geetanjali Shree (Translated from the Hindi by Daisy Rockwell)
Something Evergreen Called Life by Rania Mamoun (Translated from the Arabic by Yasmine Seale)
Anniversaries by Uwe Johnson (Translated from the German by Damion Searls)
Hurricane Season by Fernanda Melchor (Translated from the Spanish by Sophie Hughes)
Self-Portrait in Green by Marie NDiaye (Translated from the French by Jordan Stump)
Septology by Jon Fosse (Translated from the Norwegian by Damion Searls)
Simple Passion by Annie Ernaux (Translated from the French by Tanya Leslie)