Translator's Choice 2020 1
21 Translator’s choice Why does this book deserve
to be translated? In my capacity as a Hungarian publisher and translator of Scandinavian literature I had the pleasure of meeting Daniel Gustafsson a few years ago. He was then a kind employee at the Swedish Embassy in Budapest. A couple of years later I heard that he brilliantly translated work by some of our most distinguished Hungarian authors, such as Péter Nádas, into Swedish. It was, however, only this year that I became familiar with him as an author when someone made me aware of his debut novel Odenplan, which was published in 2019 and soon thereafter was nominated for the August Prize. It was with great curiosity that I read the book and I was astounded by its seriousness and depth, by how mature his style already was in this first book. The novel’s central theme – a divorced father’s relationship with his young son and how he tries to establish a new life for himself – is (unfortunately) a universal theme. However, this is like no other novel that I have read on the subject. I like the direct and lyrical tone that Gustafsson employs to examine this serious topic. I believe that readers in Hungary will be interested in this book, partly due to its subject matter, and partly due to the way references to Hungary are woven into the text. “I was astounded by its seriousness and depth” Judit Kertész Judit Kertész translates into Hungarian and lives in Budapest, Hungary. Two other favourites amongst books she has previously translated are: Mikael Niemi Populärmusik från Vittula, novel, 2000 Popzene Vittulából, Polar Könyvek, 2005 Swedish Publisher: Norstedts Rights: Hedlund Literary Agency Gunnar D. Hansson Lomonosovryggen, poetry, 2009 A Lomonoszov hátság, Polar Könyvek, 2014 Swedish publisher: Anthropos förlag Rights: Anthropos förlag