August is a busy time for reading challenges and events, and although I generally fight shy of these nowadays (as I mentioned in my post on Reading Challenges and Me), there are three that fall during this coming month in which I do like to take part. These are Women In Translation month, All Virago/All August and Spanish Lit Month (which seems to run for two months nowadays…); and of course these are all great excuses to grab books off the shelf and make lists and piles of books!
First up, Women in Translation; this event was started in August 2014 by book blogger Meytal Radzinski, with the aim of celebrating and promoting women writers in translation, as well as their translators and publishers. It’s a wonderful and laudable event, in which I always try to take part; and frankly, with the amount of translated women on my TBR there’s plenty of choice. I have specifically not bought anything new for this challenge, but a quick cast around for what I have unread and easily locatable revealed this large pile:
That’s a substantial selection of works; many from the Russian and a mixture of fiction and non-fiction; and any would be fascinating right now. I’m particularly keen on getting to the Copenhagen Trilogy or a Petrushevskaya, but who knows? There is one book missing from these stacks which I’ve already read for #WITmonth – look out for my review tomorrow! And there was a late arrival on the scene when I succumbed to a purchase from the Folio Society summer sale – a new purchase yes, but not specifically for #WITmonth:
I wasn’t the only blogger who couldn’t resist this beautiful collection of Akhmatova’s poems… ;D
Next up is Spanish Lit Month, hosted by Stu at Winstonsdad’s Blog; he’s a stalwart of translated lit and an inspiration in how widely he reads. This is the pile of potentials I came up with:
A more modest pile, which contains works translated from the Spanish, Galician and Portugese. I had a minor panic at one point because, although Stu usually allows Portugese language books, I wasn’t sure if that was happening this year. Apparently it is, which is a great relief as if nothing else, there’s a Saramago I’m dying to read!
And finally All Virago/All August. This is an annual event on the LibraryThing Virago Modern Classics group; I never stick to reading only Viragos for a month but I try to read at least one (and Persephones are allowed too). In contrast to the above stacks, I currently have just one contender:
I read about “Drawn from Life”, Stella Bowen’s autobiography, on Lisa’s blog and felt I just had to read it, so managed to procure a copy (not so easy…) It sounds marvellous and I hope this will be the month I get to it!
So – sort-of plans for August, but what I actually stick to and read remains to be seen. I guess if I read one from each category I shall be happy with that achievement. Are you joining in with any of these reading events? 😀
Jul 31, 2020 @ 07:35:01
Yes, I’ll be doing something for #WITMonth, and I’ve already done something for #SpanishLit, and I discovered an unread Virago last night so I might even get to that too.
But I’m also hosting Thea Astley Week to coincide with her birth & death dates in August so I definitely have to read something for that!
Jul 31, 2020 @ 09:13:33
Hurrah! I love August! I haven’t forgotten about the Thea Astley week and I will try to join in, though it will depend on how the rest of the month goes. I do want to read her, though…
Jul 31, 2020 @ 08:49:27
August is busy! I have two Viragos by Vita Sackville West I bought at Sissinghurst a few years ago. Perfect! WIT ongoing I hope. So many good books. Thanks for a good round up.
Jul 31, 2020 @ 09:12:52
Most welcome! It *is* a really busy month, but some wonderful things to read and the hardest thing will be deciding…
Jul 31, 2020 @ 09:07:46
Bad news – Portuguese isn’t on the menu this year – the one in which I decide to tackle the chunkster that is the Maias ….
Jul 31, 2020 @ 09:12:12
Well, I though not too, but then I read a comment from Stu on another blog where he gave dispensation for Saramago, and then he said something on his blog about it being ok too. And I’m still not sure if this runs into August or not, but WTF, I shall read what I enjoy anyway!! 😀 Good luck with the chunkster…
Jul 31, 2020 @ 09:32:16
Well, you’ve got plenty to choose from there, especially for WIT and Spanish/Portuguese Lit Month(s)! As you know, I’ve been raving about the Ditlevsen Trilogy since I read it last year, so it’s great to see it at the top of your pile. The Saramago is excellent too. I’m pretty sure I’ve read it (if it’s the one I’m thinking of) A civil servant leafing through index cards in a registry office? Does that ring a bell?
Jul 31, 2020 @ 09:53:22
I know! The big problem will be what to actually read. I do want to get to the Ditlevsen – it sounds so good. As for the Saramago, that is indeed the one…. ;D
Jul 31, 2020 @ 10:18:25
Great piles, Karen! From your pile for WIT Month, I read Kovaleskaya and Banti, and I enjoyed both. And now I am curious about Berberova and Mandelstam! This collection of Akhmatova’s poems is indeed gorgeous! I am new to these Virago autobiographies – is there any list where we can find all of them? Happy reading! 🙂
Jul 31, 2020 @ 12:02:02
Thanks Juliana! So many choices… What I’ve read of Berberova has been wonderful so I recommend. As for the Viragos, I don’t know of any way to easily find out. The VMCs have checklists on our LibraryThing Group and on Virago’s own site, but there are many non-VMCs (I have a good number) and I know of no checklist – which is a shame, because I would like one myself!!
Jul 31, 2020 @ 12:01:14
August is such a great month for reading. I started WIT early and AVAA early so I can start getting reviews out next week. One of my WIT books was also for #Spanishlitmonth but I had already done two for that in July. I also managed to combine AVAA with WIT in my two other recent reads. Phew so busy!
Looking forward to hearing about Drawn From Life. Happy reading.
Jul 31, 2020 @ 12:04:53
It is indeed a great month – so many interesting options! I have started with WIT and also have something Spanishy for later on (though I’m still not sure if Stu’s event is running for two months or one!) I need to get to at least one Virago, and that may involve a re-read of “The Yellow Wallpaper” now. We shall see. My current reading actually has nothing to do with any challenges at all! 😀
Jul 31, 2020 @ 14:21:23
I found my novel for Women in Translation Month, ‘Territory of Light’ by Yuko Tsushimi.
Jul 31, 2020 @ 18:51:10
Excellent! I’ve heard good things about it!
Jul 31, 2020 @ 18:53:53
You certainly have plenty to choose from! I’ve deliberately split Spanish Lit Month (July) and Women in Translation Month (August) so my brain can cope. It doesn’t help that I’ll be going back to work soon!
Jul 31, 2020 @ 18:58:06
Probably sensible, Grant – I think I have stuffed too much into August, but at least I don’t go back to work until September…
Jul 31, 2020 @ 22:23:18
You certainly have plenty of choices for WIT. Most of my translated books are by men but I do have 2 from South America which is one region where I haven’t read that many authors. So The Girl in the Photograph by Lydia Fagundes Telles and he Hour of the Star by Clarice Lispector are options but I have taken on too many review commitments so may have to skip out this year
Aug 01, 2020 @ 10:35:22
I have almost too many choices, because there are plenty of others which I haven’t shown! I read a lot of translated lit, and I try to vary it so I read many women generally – but August is a good time to focus. Lispector is complex and excellent, but I can understand that you might have to miss this year if there are other books pressing.
Aug 01, 2020 @ 07:38:25
What lovely piles of books you have for these three challenges. I don’t commit to challenges as I never complete them then I feel bad. I need to just get back to my blogging soon. I’ll look forward to hearing how you go.
Aug 01, 2020 @ 10:34:09
I don’t do many challenges nowadays, but these are ones I actively *want* to get involved in so it should theoretically not be a hardship. At the moment it will be more the case of deciding what to choose!!
Aug 01, 2020 @ 10:52:57
I hope you are able to post some reviews of the Spanish books. Enjoy reading!
Aug 01, 2020 @ 12:11:01
I think there will definitely be one Saramago…. ;D
Aug 02, 2020 @ 12:37:06
I’ve already done my Spanish Lit Month book, reading a whole (children’s) book in Spanish for the first time! I wrote about it on Friday in a post almost no one read or commented on, maybe I embarrassed myself or something! I am doing AV/AA in conjunction with my 20 Books of Summer project – I have three Viragoes, two Persephones, a Dean St Press and a Women’s Press to read – and the Women’s Press one is also the ONLY woman in translation I had on the TBR, so serves for that, too. Phew!
Aug 02, 2020 @ 13:15:58
And very impressive that is, too – I couldn’t manage a word in Spanish! Good idea to combine projects – I wish I’d managed that this year, but I suspect that although I will manage many #WITmonth books, I’m not sure how well I will get on with AV/AA. I will try…