Translator's Choice 2020 1
19 Translator’s choice Why does this book deserve
to be translated? Why read about Odenplan? Isn’t that just a tube station in the Swedish capital? Isn’t this just a ‘Stockholm novel’ for Swedish middle-class readers, or, at a push, enthusiastic foreign fans of Sweden? Like a modern-day Leopold Bloom the novel’s main character never leaves his neighbourhood during the entire story. Instead, in his memories and thoughts the streets around Odenplan become connected with some of the most vulnerable areas of Europe, with the Stockholm archipelago (where beautiful and unexpected meetings between lovers take place), and with the entire contemporary world. A world in which the central character recognises his own feeling of a fractured context. That the text is in a clever dialogue with modern western literature is hard to miss. A careful reader, who enjoys playing ‘text-detective’, will find in Odenplan several elegant references to the author’s literary role models. The language, which from the first page already engages the reader with its captivating rhythm, confirms Odenplan as an outstanding novel, not only by Stockholm, Swedish, or Scandinavian measures, but by European ones too. “an outstanding novel, not only by Stockholm, Swedish, or Scandinavian measures” Lida Starodubtseva Translates into Russian, and lives in Linderöd, Sweden. Two other favourites amongst books she has previously translated are: Anna Jörgensdotter Pappa Pralin, novel, 2002 Шоколадный папа,Corpus, 2013 Swedish publisher: Albert Bonniers Förlag Rights: Bonnier Rights Katarina Kieri Dansar Elias? Nej!, YA novel, 2011 Никто не спит, KompasGuide Publishing House 2012 and 2018, new edition Swedish publisher: Raben & Sjögren Agency Rights: Rabensjogrenagency.se