So glad to see Kanako Nishi published in English, translated by Allison Markin Powell, at long last. Do read Sakura, it’s wonderful - I couldn’t put it down! #translation #booksky #japaneseliterature

Japan friends, this Sunday March 1st, from 1pm we’ll be celebrating Japanese literature in translation at Human Arts Studio in Tsukuba. Some of my literary translator friends have kindly agreed to come along and read from their work - free and open to all, so do join us! #translation #literature

Two down, how many more to go? #epsteinfiles

“Yuzuki believes that books about the struggle of insecure work, including Sayaka Murata’s Convenience Store Woman (translated by Ginny Tapley Takemori) and Kikuko Tsumura’s There’s No Such Thing as an Easy Job (translated by Barton), opened doors to Western readers.” #translation #booksky #japan

And still on 猫の日, these are our four foster kitties (mom and 3 kittens). They are much better behaved than our other three.

In honour of 猫の日 National Cat Day in Japan, here are our three, Nemu, Tigger, and Chibi. And yes, they are judging me.

Happy release day to Jose Ando’s Jackson Alone, trans. Kalou Almony. “Four Black Japanese gay men team up against a culture where discrimination is deep-seated and revenge is just a click away. A searing, darkly funny debut from the Akutagawa Prize–winning author.”

The cat’s out of the bag! I was so delighted the judges - all women I admire greatly - chose my translation. Thank you! #translation #literarytranslation #booksky

View from hotel this evening 💕

Thank you Maki Ishihara for the interview, published in the Tokyo Shinbun the other day!

Look what just arrived! Publishing February 12. #translation #literarytranslation #japaneseliterature #booksky

“Paper book estimated sales remained steady at roughly the same level as the previous year to total ¥593.9 billion, thanks to bestsellers including the paperback edition of Shuichi Yoshida’s “Kokuho” (“National Treasure”), which was adapted into a major hit film of the same title.”

Readers and bookshops: please boycott any publisher that replaces literary translators with the non-reading, uncultured, lying, manipulative plagiarism regurgitator.

Delighted to have been shortlisted for the Sasakawa prize for my translation of Mayumi Inaba’s Mornings With My Cat Mii, and honoured to share the spot with Stephen Snyder, Polly Barton and Bryan Karetnyk!

Please donate! All donations TODAY will be matched. Please help this important cat rescue group continue their life saving work. #cats #catrescue #japan

🚨 “A court in Munich has ruled that OpenAI’s chatbot ChatGPT violated German copyright laws by using hits from musicians to train its language models” A landmark European ruling! www.theguardian.com/technology/2...

I’m absolutely delighted that Sayaka Murata has won the Noma Literary Prize for 「世界99」 (World 99), the novel published earlier this year that started as a serialized story in Subaru magazine and turned into a bigger beast than anyone had anticipated, including Sayaka herself.

Excellent essay by Dorothy Potter Snyder

For those of you who use Spotify, you might want to reconsider… www.instagram.com/reel/DQG1P6P...

Something we did a little while ago has finally gone live #translation #japanesewomenauthors #literarytranslation #japanesefiction #booksky

Tokyo friends, this is happening on Saturday - please come and join us! #translation #literarytranslation #booksky peatix.com/event/4568298

I guess my job is secure for a while, then!

“I use it for brainstorming.” is quickly becoming my most hated pro-AI statement. YOU TOOK YOUR BRAIN OUT OF THE EQUATION. THAT IS NOT BRAINSTORMING.

I’d been thinking about starting a Substack, but I guess I won’t after all!

What on Earth is this? An "in depth" BBC article about free speech in the UK that only cites examples of right-wing/ 'anti-woke' speech being suppressed. How can you mention Lucy Connolly but completely ignore Palestine Action / Just Stop Oil? Gob-smacking. www.bbc.co.uk/news/article...

Come join us! #translation #booksky

Today @tribunemagazine.bsky.social publishes a vitally important, highly personal and urgently necessary piece by Yara Rodrigues Fowler on the history of the FFB campaigning around literary festivals:

On the blog today is my book review of Grave of the Fireflies by Akiyuki Nosaka. It has been translated from Japanese by @ginnytkmr.bsky.social This is a new edition publishing by @penguinclassicsusa.bsky.social today and is well worth reading.

Publication day! This was one of the hardest stories I’ve ever translated, both for the language and content. It’s also one of the most important stories I’ve translated. I hope as many people as possible will read it and reflect on the reality of war. #booksky #translation #literarytranslation

I did a podcast on Mornings Without Mii with Amy Chavez on Books on Asia - have a listen! #literarytranslation #translation #booksky

lawl

AI can't talk with its hands when it gets excited, either... 🤣🤣

this iconic advertising copywriter named Kathy Hepinstall Parks died over the weekend and I wanted to share something from her website I thought Bluesky would like

An important interview with the author of Hiroshima and Nagasaki, The Last Witnesses. Please read it. And then read the books. He is an extraordinarily compelling writer.

Very fun to have a new book translation come out that I had nothing to do with but apparently am expected to give interviews for

London Trans Pride 2025: I've never seen so many cis people showing up for trans rights. Labour may be trying to drag us back to Section 28 - but we never had support like this back then.

Germany gave people €1,200/month no strings attached. They kept working, slept better, switched to better jobs, and even gave more to others. Turns out, when people aren’t drowning, they swim further. #UBI doesn’t kill ambition, it frees it.

Unsolicited writing advice, no: 15671561: On FESTIVALS. There are over 800 literary festivals in the UK. Some are high-profile, international festivals like Edinburgh and Hay-on-Wye, others are smaller and more local. Some are subsidized by local arts councils; some have private sponsors. Or both.

Gotta love the Scots!

Great review of Nancy Wu’s narration of Vanishing World, clearly pointing out the ways in which she brings her humanity and skill to the job. A timely reminder why we shouldn’t let AI replace human narrators!

In pink, the very sweet and peaceful Anna, 80-year-old with serious health issues, well loved in our South East London community for her generosity and kindness, being arrested as a terrorist! @elliereeves.bsky.social, my MP, what is your government doing?? www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/crim...

Writers! Note that AI translation (under the guise of "global access") is being seen/used as the weak point to get AI into publishing (possible bc Eng lang publishing is weak on translation). Stand with translators & for more human translation, fairly paid!

A big feature by @susiemesure.bsky.social has come out in Prospect Magazine, and it gratifyingly spotlights the role of translators in bringing J. lit to new audiences. There are quotes from stars like @ginnytkmr.bsky.social, @wrongsreversed.bsky.social and David Boyd, as well as little ol' me 😅

“As more people look to AI as a cultural authority, they may rely on and imitate it over other sources, narrowing diversity in language.” Dumbing down, in other words.

Excellent piece by Danny Hahn on why we literary translators won’t be replaced just yet! #translation #literarytranslation #booksky