Hand's up, who knows what an accabadora is? I'd be impressed if you did know. I didn't, but I soon found out when I picked up my lasted read which uses this word as its title. The meaning of accabadora is revealed in the cover blurb (see below). … [Read more...]
Mabanckou Giveaway: And the winner is…
August 25, 2011 By 3 Comments
Well, it's time to reveal the winner of my Alain Mabanckou giveaway, where one lucky reader would pick up a special EdBookFest signed copy of his first novel, Broken Glass (that's Alain signing that copy in the picture above). And that lucky winner, … [Read more...]
EdBookFest Giveaway: Win a SIGNED copy of Alain Mabanckou’s BROKEN GLASS
August 16, 2011 By 11 Comments
Well, I promised you a competition prize or two during EdBookFest, and the first one is an absolute cracker. When I meet Alain Mabanckou yesterday he was kind enough to sign an extra competition copy of Broken Glass for me (look here he is actually … [Read more...]
Afterthoughts: Atlas of Remote Islands by Judith Schalansky
August 13, 2011 By 1 Comment
In a Nutshell: Finally, a coffee table book that's worth its weight in gold. Well written and beautifully presented, Atlas of Remote Islands is a perfect companion for anyone wishing to escape their dreary surroundings to indulge in a spot of remote … [Read more...]
Forethoughts: Atlas of Remote Islands by Judith Schalansky
August 2, 2011 By Leave a Comment
Note: My afterthoughts for Atlas of Remote Islands have now been posted (but I'd still like it if you read my forethoughts for this title, if you haven't already). The first thing I have to make clear about this, my next read in preparation for … [Read more...]
Rafik Schami features in new Words Without Borders edition
August 2, 2011 By Leave a Comment
Words Without Borders have posted the August edition of their online magazine. This month sees a continuation of their 'Arab Spring' theme, which focuses on literature from the countries involved in the Middle Eastern uprisings. This month's … [Read more...]
Forethoughts: Bitter Bitch by Maria Sveland
June 13, 2011 By Leave a Comment
So I come to my latest translated fiction read - Bitter Bitch (Corsair); a debut novel from Swedish author and journalist, Maria Sveland, which was originally published in 2007 under the title, Bittenfittan. Before I head off into this novel though, … [Read more...]
Forethoughts: Monsieur Linh and His Child by Philippe Claudel
May 31, 2011 By Leave a Comment
You won't find a review on RobAroundBooks at this time of Philippe Claudel's Independent Foreign Fiction Prize winning novel, Brodeck's Report (it lingers on my 'reviews still to write' list. You can catch my forethoughts on it, HERE), but I can tell … [Read more...]
Rob Reads… The IFFP 2011 shortlist
April 11, 2011 By Leave a Comment
Well folks, it's that time of year again when the Independent Foreign Fiction Prize shortlist is announced, and If you've been reading RobAroundBooks for a while then you'll know that also around this time I love to moan about how little exposure … [Read more...]
Independent Foreign Fiction Prize 2011 longlist announced
March 10, 2011 By Leave a Comment
The longlist for this year's Independent Foreign Fiction Prize was announced earlier today. Funded by Arts Council England, and administrated for the first time this year by the Booktrust, the Independent Foreign Fiction Prize is the only UK prize … [Read more...]