Greek makes Independent prize short list
The Independent Foreign Fiction Prize short list marks yet another triumph for Greek writer Vangelis Hatziyannidis. His first novel, «I tesseris toichoi,» first published by To Rodakio in 2001, was popular with the public and the critics in Greece, and the French translation won the 2004 Laure Bataille Award for the best foreign book and best translation of the year. Now the English translation by Anne-Marie Stanton-Ife, published by Marion Boyars as «Four Walls» in 2006, is flying high on the short list for a leading international literary prize. The other contenders are «The Book of Chameleons,» by Jose Eduardo Agualusa, trans. Daniel Hahn (Arcadia); «The Story of Blanche and Marie,» by Per Olov Enquist, trans. Tiina Nunnally (Harvill Secker); «Your Face Tomorrow, 2: «Dance and Dream,» by Javier Marias, trans. Margaret Jull Costa (Chatto & Windus); «Vienna,» by Eva Menasse, trans. Anthea Bell (Weidenfield & Nicolson); and «Shyness and Dignity,» by Dag Solstad, trans. Sverre Lyngstad (Harvill Secker). ‘A many-sided conversation’ Boyd Tonkin, literary editor of the Independent and a staunch promoter of literature in translation, had this to say when he announced the short list on March 9: «There are all sorts of reasons to relish the short list for this year’s Independent Foreign Fiction Prize. Not least among them is the way each of these remarkable novels in translation invites us to have a many-sided conversation – with ourselves, with other readers, with the authors and (in some cases) history itself. Each, in its special way, is proof that formula-free storytelling thrives in many lands, outside the fiction factories.» Pointing out that the short list embraces six original languages: Portuguese, Swedish, Greek, Spanish, German and Norwegian, he commented: «The novels unfold across a world of plot and passion, from Agualusa’s post-colonial Angola to Enquist’s fin-de-siecle Paris. These books are talking to, and arguing with, their varied genres, from the fable-cum-mystery of Hatziyannidis to the family saga of Menasse. In English, each also bears witness to the creative dialogue that outstanding translators have undertaken with the original texts.» There were no foregone conclusions for the final six and the jury (David Constantine, Jennie Erdal, Kate Griffin, Ali Smith and Tonkin) argued long and hard for their choices, Tonkin reported, adding: «The winner of the prize – which awards 5,000 pounds to the author, and 5,000 pounds to the translator – will be revealed on May 1. Between now and then, we hope that this list will set tongues wagging and fingers tapping for a legion of curious readers. This conversation has only just begun.» A helping hand Congratulations are in order for the writer, translator and publishers. And for some serious spadework done when Catherine Velissaris, now head of the National Book Center (EKEBI) was director of the European Translation Center (EKEMEL). It was Velissaris who – refusing to be daunted by the tiny 3 percent of the English-language market that comprises foreign literature in translation – determined to see if Greece couldn’t carve out a stake of that 3 percent. She organized a series of seminars putting small groups of Greek authors together with foreign literary critics and publishers. Among those present at the first seminar, held at the Rhodes Translation Center in 2003, were Tonkin, Hatziyannidis, Stanton-Ife and Marion Boyars chief Catheryn Kilgarriff. As someone who had the privilege of attending those seminars (subsequently held on Paros and in Halkidiki), this writer can confirm that the discussions that started there – where the visitors expressed their delight at being able to absorb information about new Greek writing, away from the hubbub of a book fair – have paid off, in spades. Not only in the exciting example of the short list, but also in closer contacts and better understanding. This is an example of what Greek book policy can do when implemented creatively and with a sense of purpose.
