Translation seems to be having a moment—or a series of moments, that could turn into new reading and publishing habits. At least I hope so! Of course there are specific magazines devoted to new writing in translation, such as Words Without Borders, World Literature Today, and Asymptote. But it’s also wonderful to see general literary magazines including translated literature in their pages. Here are some of my favorite places right now to discover great writing in translation.
The New Yorker
In the past, The New Yorker seemed to notice writers in other languages only after they won a Nobel Prize. Now I have discovered a lot of great fiction writers in translation in its pages, including Mariana Enriquez translated by Megan McDowell, Lee Chang-Dong translated by Heinz Insu Fenkl and Yoosup Chang, and Shuang Xuetao translated by Jeremy Tiang. This is exciting!
The Common
This online magazine features portfolios of writing in translation alongside work written in English. Recent issues included Arabic short stories from Kuwait, Arabic short stories from Palestine, and fiction, essays, and poetry translated from Portuguese.
RHINO Poetry
RHINO is full of interesting poetry, including in translation. The editors have published poems from Serbia, Ukraine, 16th-century Korea, and many more times and places. I like the way the poems in translation are mixed in with poetry originally written in English.
The Massachusetts Review
The Massachusetts Review offers a stimulating assortment of fiction and poetry, including works in translation. It has also published some interesting essays on the craft and the politics of translation.
Washington Square Review
This semiannual print magazine features a section with poetry and fiction in translation. The summer 2023 issue includes compelling poetry by Noh Cheonmyeong, one of the first major woman poets in Korea, translated by Jack Jung; Muyaka bin Haji al-Ghassaniy, the earliest known secular Swahili poet, translated by Richard Prins; and Su Shi, an illustrious poet, essayist, and painter of the Song dynasty, translated by Jeffrey Tao.
Photo by Sena via Pexels.