Whale: SHORTLISTED FOR THE INTERNATIONAL BOOKER PRIZE 2023

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Whale is an adventure-satire of epic proportions, which sheds new light on the changes Korea experienced in its rapid transition from pre-modern to post-modern society. The Gospel According to the New World starts with the birth of a boy in an “overseas department”, “surrounded by water on all sides”. These are just some of the events that set Myeong-Kwan Cheong’s beautifully crafted, wild world in motion.

Brimming with surprises and wicked humour, Whale is an adventure-satire of epic proportions, by one of international literature’s the most original voices. Though sunlight filtered through the gaps in the cratered walls, cool air circulated inside the dark cave of the kiln. There's a huge emphasis on female strength and power throughout and, while there are some memorable and loveable male characters, many of the men featuring throughout the novel lack even the basic dignity of a name, and instead are referred to as the fishmonger, the lumberjack, the truck driver, and so on. It lays out a vision of South Korea over the twentieth century that is very rare in the translated literature of today.

Standing Heavy delivers a powerful invitation to reflect upon the multiple meanings of “postcolonial France” and the Franco-African relationship, 60 years after the “end of Empire”. It engages with questions of belief, philosophy and politics, and brings together a range of captivating characters from across the New World as Pascal grapples with his reputation as a new Messiah. When I start a translation I often read books that will get me in the right headspace and mood, which helps me land on the voice.

A novel that's more like reading out loud than reading quietly to oneself; its structure is like that of a folktale. It’s set in a Brazilian slaughterhouse run by Senhor Milo; next door is the shiny new hamburger factory that receives its wares – “all that white reflects a peace that doesn’t exist”. The International Booker prize is the UK’s most prestigious award for translated fiction, with previous winners including Han Kang and Olga Tokarczuk. A much shorter translation process can be found in Time Shelter, which translator Angela Rodel began work on before Georgi Gospodinov had even finished writing the book in its original language, Bulgarian.Whaleis a rollercoaster adventure through Korean history and culture, a magical and grotesque epic . I didn't know what to expect from this book but I was very pleasantly suprised and it has made me excited to read more literature from around the world. University of Glasgow and University of Manchester provide funding as members of The Conversation UK. Longlisted for the 2023 International Booker Prize, this is a stunning work of fiction that reads more like a fable or fairy tale. The two novels show women reckoning with biology and their physicality, while suffocating under the emotional weight of their decisions.