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Monday 26 October 2020, the Publishers Without Borders group hosted the online seminar “Publishing Romanian Literature” on their Facebook page.
Publishers from Romania and the United Kingdom took part in the event: Denisa Comănescu (Humanitas Fiction, Bucharest), Alexandra Rusu (Nemira, Bucharest), Ramona Mitrică (Profusion Books, London), Susan Curtis (Istros Books, London), Cheryl Robson (Aurora Metro Books, London), together with Magda Stroe (Romanian Cultural Institute, London).
The event was moderated by journalist Rosie Goldsmith and publicist Emma House, and was part of Romania Rocks!, the first Romanian-British Literature Festival organised by the Romanian Cultural Institute (RCI) in London, in partnership with the European Literature Network.
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The discussions touched on the importance and necessity of translations from the Romanian literature, as well as talking about books which have been already published, about future projects, and about the financing which is available (the RCI’s TPS-Translation and Publication Support Programme, and Publishing Romania). The discussion also mentioned book distribution, bookshop networks, online sales, as well as book fairs in Romania, and literature festivals, either physical or virtual.
The discussions further mentioned poetry translation (Ana Blandiana, Nina Cassian, Magda Cârneci), and literature written by women, as well as the translation of theatre plays (Alina Nelega, Andreea Vălean, Matei Vișniec, Mihail Sebastian). Also mentioned was Romania Noir and translations of crime literature (George Arion, Stelian Țurlea, Oana Stoica-Mujea, Bogdan Hrib, Bogdan Teodorescu).
Besides the publishing houses represented by the participants in the discussions, other publishing houses which published Romanian literature in English were mentioned: Bloodaxe, Plymouth University Press, Dalkey Archive Press.
Emma House, founding member of Publishers Without Borders, underlined the importance of the increase in the number of translations, in a context in which translations account only for approximately 4.5% of the books published each year in the UK.
Rosie Goldsmith, director of European Literature Network, presented The Romanian Riveter, a cultural magazine she has recently published. It contains translations of Romanian literature – prose and poetry, book presentations, articles, and recommendations for new reads. The magazine is distributed free of charge, both electronically and in a printed version.
Here is the list of Romanian books translated into English, and published by the British publishers invited in the “Publishing Romanian Literature” seminar. Enjoy!
Profusion Books:
‘Report on the State of Loneliness’ by Augustin Buzura
‘Attack in the Library’ by George Arion
‘The Innocent and Collateral Victims of a Bloody War with Russia’ by Liviu Antonesei
‘Greuceanu – Novel with a Policeman’ by Stelian Țurlea
‘Kill the General’ by Bogdan Hrib
‘Anatomical Clues’ by Oana Stoica-Mujea
‘Rimaru – Butcher of Bucharest’ by Mike Phillips and Stejărel Olaru
Istros Books:
‘Diary of a Short-Sighted Adolescent’ by Mircea Eliade
‘Gaudeamus’ by Mircea Eliade
‘The Trap’ by Ludovic Bruckstein
‘With an Unopened Umbrella’ by Ludovic Bruckstein
‘Life Begins on Friday’ by Ioana Pârvulescu
‘Definitions’ by Octavian Paler
‘Sun Alley’ by Cecilia Ștefănescu
Aurora Metro Books:
‘The Star with no Name’ by Mihail Sebastian
‘The Town with Acacia Trees’ by Mihail Sebastian
‘Women’ by Mihail Sebastian
‘When I want to whistle, I whistle…’ by Andreea Vălean (in Balkan Plots anthology)
‘The Body of a Woman as a battlefield in the Bosnian War’ by Matei Vișniec (in Balkan Plots anthology)
‘Nascendo’ by Alina Nelega (in Eastern Promise anthology)
The Romanian version of this article by Ramona Mitrică (Profusion Books) is available here https://convorbiriromanesti.co.uk/blog/2020/10/31/seminar-dedicat-publicarii-literaturii-romane/