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Send us a textWelcome to Episode 99! Congratulations on making it this far!This month's featured read is Butter by Asako Yuzuki (translated by Polly Barton).Listen on for our spoiler free thoughts and feelings.
This is the twenty-first episode of The Podgoblin's Hat, with Nina and Dave. You can find it on it's own feed wherever you get your podcasts. This week we're reading one of Tove's most famous short stories: The Invisible Child. It's a pretty bright and funny story with very dark themes. We both like it, but it doesn't quite live up to the hype, for us. Little My is picking poisonous mushrooms (what else is new?), Moomintroll is an ass, and Moominmamma is a confirmed witch. It's a good one for cameos of Too-Ticky, and vengeance on fathers. We've got quite the fungus-based Natural History/Translation chat. We talk about whether bashing coldly ironical types in the head is even any use. Justice for people with hair colours that aren't black or yellow! There is a deep dive into Nina's ginger experience, and the way gingers, particularly ginger girls, are represented in kids' fiction. Our Spirits of the Moomins are The Little Prince by Saint Exupery, as read by Peter Ustinov, and Where the Wild Ladies Are, by Matsuda Aoko and translated by Polly Barton. Dave's Spirit of the Moomins is The White Pube website and podcast, particularly their video game reviews.
Molly and Kate speak with Lara Hamilton, the owner of Book Larder Seattle's community cookbook store. Lara shares the motivations behind opening the store, why Seattle was the perfect base and how she sees the connection between food and books. We learn the origins behind the name, location and design of the store as well as some behind the scenes insights into ordering, event planning and curating its unique selection. Lara talks about her thoughts on trends, author platforms and building a space that is a must stop on author tour before revealing her most anticipated Fall titles.Hosts: Kate Leahy + Molly StevensEditor: Abby Cerquitella MentionsBook LarderWebsiteInstagramPodcastYouTube ChannelBook Larder Podcast: Molly StevensBook Larder Podcast: Kate Leahy Visit the Everything Cookbooks Bookshop to purchase a copy of the books mentioned in the showBodega Bakes by Paola VelezEasy Wins by Anna JonesWhat Goes with What by Julia TurshenA Splash of Soy by Lara LeeChinese Enough by Kristina ChoSift by Nicola LambBake with Benoit Blin by Benoit BlinMy Life in France by Julia ChildButter by Asako Yuzuki and translated by Polly Barton
Our book this episode is Butter, by Asako Yuzuki (translated by Polly Barton). And it sparked a very ‘alive' conversation on appetites, cake boundaries and whether a bowl of rice, butter and soy sauce can truly awaken an appetite for life.As always, you don't have to have read the book to follow along. Although, we both did love it and would recommend you do! It's a very layered, clever and thought provoking read.Here's the publisher's synopsis;Gourmet cook Manako Kajii sits in Tokyo Detention Centre convicted of the serial murders of lonely businessmen, who she is said to have seduced with her delicious home cooking. The case has captured the nation's imagination but Kajii refuses to speak with the press, entertaining no visitors. That is, until journalist Rika Machida writes a letter asking for her recipe for beef stew and Kajii can't resist writing back.Rika, the only woman in her news office, works late each night, rarely cooking more than ramen. As the visits unfold between her and the steely Kajii, they are closer to a masterclass in food than journalistic research. Rika hopes this gastronomic exchange will help her soften Kajii but it seems that she might be the one changing. With each meal she eats, something is awakening in her body, might she and Kaji have more in common than she once thought?Inspired by the real case of the convicted con woman and serial killer, "The Konkatsu Killer", Asako Yuzuki's Butter is a vivid, unsettling exploration of misogyny, obsession, romance and the transgressive pleasures of food in Japan.Show notes with links, recipes, and more will be sent to our subscribers separately.Thank you. Happy listening! And please try the butter and rice dish as per Kajii's instructions. It really is excellent!Thank you to our wonderful producer, Kristy Reading, for putting this and every episode together so beautifully.We acknowledge that the land on which we work and live is the traditional land of the Wiradjuri Nation (Sophie) and the Gadigal of the Eora Nation (Germaine). We pay our respects to Elders past and present and extend that respect to all First Nations people. Get full access to Something to Eat and Something to Read at somethingtoeatandsomethingtoread.substack.com/subscribe
Polly Barton, Yoko Ogawa, and plays – welcome to episode 128! In the first half of today’s ‘Tea or Books?’ episode, Rachel and I revisit a topic from years ago – plays! Specifically, do we think that plays should be
We're talking about Butter by Asako Yuzuki (translated by Polly Barton) in this episode. Whew! There's a lot to unpack in this book, from delectable desciptions of food, to possible murders, the power struggle between the characters... this book is so much more than it seems. Inspired by the real case of the convicted con woman and serial killer, "The Konkatsu Killer", the books is about gourmet cook Manako Kajii sits in Tokyo Detention Centre convicted of the serial murders of lonely businessmen, who she is said to have seduced with her delicious home cooking. The case has captured the nation's imagination but Kajii refuses to speak with the press, entertaining no visitors. That is, until journalist Rika Machida writes a letter asking for her recipe for beef stew and Kajii can't resist writing back. What happens after this is a real roller coaster of a read. We hope you enjoy this episode and if you've read Butter, let us knwo what you think!SPECIAL ANNOUNCMENT: The Aesop Women's Library is back this year! Stay tuned for our special epsiodes in collaboration with Aesop Malaysia to find out the book selections this year, author interviews, and more! Live, laugh, love, and read well.
Anna and Annie discuss the 2024 Stella Prize shortlist. Our book of the week is Butter by Asako Yuzuki translated by Polly Barton. Described as 'a novel of food and murder' this follows Riko, a journalist, who investigates serial killer Manako Kajii. Kajii allegedly seduced rich men with her cooking before killing them, and she encourages Riko to cook and appreciate food. Inspired by a true story, this has been a cult Japanese best-seller. Coming up: Question 7 by Richard Flanagan. Follow us! Email: booksonthegopodcast@gmail.com Instagram: @abailliekaras and @mr_annie Facebook: Books On The Go Credits Artwork: Sascha Wilkosz
What did our podcast book club make of Mild Vertigo, Japanese author Mieko Kanai's 1997 novel, recently translated into English by Polly Barton. A 'modernist masterpiece' written in sentences that go on for pages with hardly any paragraph breaks might not seem like an obvious book club winner; listen in to find out if we were won over. To discuss it Kate is joined by Yuki Tejima, also known as @booknerdtokyo, and Shawn Mooney, aka Shawn the Book Maniac. Listen in for their thoughts on Mild Vertigo, their current reads and our book recommendations for anyone wanting the inside track on great Japanese fiction. Book list A Woman of Pleasure by Kiyoko Murata (trans. Juliet Winters Carpenter) Home Reading Service by Fabio Morábito (trans. Curtis Bauer) Woman Running in the Mountains by Yūko Tsushima (trans. Geraldine Harcourt) Also Territory of Light and Child of Fortune by Yoko Tsutshima Grass for my Pillow by Sayiichi Maruya (trans. Dennis Keene) The Little House by Kyoto Nakajima (trans. Ginny Tapley Takamori) There's No Such Thing as an Easy Job by Kikuo Tsumura (trans. Polly Barton) Fifty Sounds by Polly Barton Porn: An Oral History by Polly Barton Butter by Asako Yuzuki (trans. Polly Barton) Follow us on Instagram and threads @bookclubreviewpodcast Support the show and get Kate's weekly book-recommendations email, access to our book spreadsheets, connect with fellow readers and join our book club: find all the details on our Patreon page. If you enjoyed the episode, please share it, rate and review us on your podcast app, which helps other listeners find us. Find full shownotes and our episode archive at our website thebookclubreview.co.uk
The first instalment of the first season of new podcast series The Writer's Dilemma, in which psychotherapist Susie Orbach sits down for a therapy session with writers. In this episode, Susie hears from Polly Barton. Polly is author of two non-fiction books, Fifty Sounds and Porn: An Oral History. She has also translated Japanese literature and non-fiction. As well as books, her translations are featured in various journals and newspapers. She also writes about art. Full session available from January 11th on Spiracle Audiobooks spiracleaudiobooks.com
More books (and other things) we are looking forward to in 2024. Books mentioned on this episode: There's Always This Year: On Basketball and Ascension by Hanif Abdurraqib, Welcome to the Hyunam-dong Bookshop by Hwang Bo-reum and translated by Shanna Tan, A Tempest of Tea by Hafsah Faizal, Praiseworthy by Alexis Wright, The Dead Cat Tail Assassins by P. Djeli Clark, How to Become the Dark Lord and Die Trying by Django Wexler, Kimi ni Todoke: From Me to You: Soulmate by Karuho Shiina, A Vicious Game by Melissa Blair, Destroy the Day by Brigid Kemmerer, The Invisible Hotel by Yeji Y. Ham, and Butter by Asako Yuzuki and translated by Polly Barton. --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/keepitfictional/message
Polly Barton in conversation with Rachael Allen: Polly Barton, author of Fifty Sounds and Porn: An Oral History, and translator of Mild Vertigo by Mieko Kanai, speaks to Rachael Allen, poet, editor and author of Kingdomland, about her work to date, including the importance of making spaces for ambivalence and not-knowing, difficult feelings as a source of writing, and her overlapping practices as writer and translator.
Prima puntata della nuova stagione. Claudia Durastanti ci racconta le nuove uscite di La tartaruga, collana che dirige. E in particolare il libro della scrittrice e traduttrice femminista Polly Barton, "Porno. Una storia orale". Abbiamo incontrato Polly Barton alla libreria Alaska di Milano: l'intervista. E infine andiamo al festival Re/Sister, organizzato dalla Casa delle donne di Parma.
Curious about the complex and seemingly taboo subject of porn, British writer Polly Barton spent a year asking her acquaintances for their honest feelings about it. "Porn is a topic that brings together so many difficult feelings and quite complicated and thorny ethical dilemmas that the response can really be to turn away from it," she tells Kim Hill.
In this episode, an interview with Polly Barton, writer and translator. Barton is the author of two books of nonfiction, Fifty Sounds from 2021, and Porn: An Oral History, published this year. Barton has also translated numerous works of fiction from Japanese into English, including Mieko Kanai's Mild Vertigo and Kikuko Tsumura's There's No Such Thing As An Easy Job – with more to come.
Kiran Dass reviews Porn: An Oral History by Polly Barton
A landmark work of oral history written in the spirit of Nell Dunn, Porn: An Oral History (Fitzcarraldo Editions) is a thrilling, thought-provoking, revelatory, revealing, joyfully informative and informal exploration of a subject that has always retained an element of the taboo. ‘Polly Barton is a brilliant, learned and daring writer,' writes Joanna Kavenna, author of ZED. She was in conversation, brilliantly, learnedly and daringly, with Amelia Abraham, author of Queer Intentions (Picador). Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
We finish off talking about our anticipated reads of May to August 2023, and bid farewell to Mark, one of our dear book friends. Thank you, Mark, for all your thought-provoking book recommendations in the past year. We will try to carry the torch by raising awareness of lesser known, translated works from around the world. Books mentioned on this episode: Vampires of El Norte by Isabel Cañas, Ink Blood Sister Scribe by Emma Törzs, The Politics and Poetics of Everyday Life by Kristin Ross, Oh God, The Sun Goes by David Connor, Days at the Morisaki Bookshop by Satoshi Yagisawa, translated by Eric Ozawa, The Maniac by Benjamín Labatut, Kappa by Ryūnosuke Akutagawa, translated by Lisa Hoffman-Kuroda and Allison Markin Powell, The Forest Brims Over by Maru Ayase, translated by Haydn Trowell, Honeybees and Distant Thunder by Riku Onda, translated by Philip Gabriel, and Mild Vertigo by Mieko Kanai, translated by Polly Barton. --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/keepitfictional/message
In this week's episode, we chat to writer and Japanese translator Polly Barton about her new book Porn: An Oral History. We discuss the necessity of sitting with discomfort and ambivalence and the role of unknowingness within a divided contemporary society. We speak about he nature of oral histories and the links between translation and transcription. We consider the importance of intergenerational conversation, as well as the role of nuance, contradiction and sensitivity within non-fiction. We consider what it means to leave space for desire and pleasure within discourse on sex and gender and think about Pamela Paul's notion of the pornification of society under capitalism. Polly Barton is a writer and Japanese translator based in Bristol. In 2019, she won the Fitzcarraldo Editions Essay Prize and her debut book, Fifty Sounds, a personal dictionary of the Japanese language, was published in the UK by Fitzcarraldo Editions in 2021. In 2022, Fifty Sounds was shortlisted for the 2022 Stanford Dolman Travel Book of the Year. Her translations have featured in Granta, Catapult, The White Review and Words Without Borders and her full length translations include Spring Garden by Tomoka Shibasaki (Pushkin Press), Where the Wild Ladies Are by Aoko Matsuda (Tilted Axis Press/Soft Skull), which was shortlisted for the Ray Bradbury Prize, and There's No Such Thing as an Easy Job by Kikuko Tsumura (Bloomsbury). Her new book, Porn: An Oral History, was published by Fitzcarraldo Editions (UK) in March 2023 and is forthcoming from La Nave di Teseo in Italy. References Porn: An Oral History by Polly Barton Fifty Sounds by Polly Barton Uses of the Erotic by Audre Lorde Pornified: How Pornography is Transforming Our Lives, Our Relationships and Our Families by Pamela Paul
We welcome Polly Barton to the show today. Polly is an author, as well as a Japanese literary translator. She is the author of Fifty Sounds: A Memoir of Language, Learning and Longing which is published by Liveright. Polly is the winner of the 2019 Fitzcarraldo Editions Essay Prize for "Fifty Sounds." She currently resides in Bristol.
How does food connect us to our cultural identity? Get hungry listening to Claire Kohda talk to Lucy Scholes about her debut novel Woman, Eating, which follows a mixed-race vampire in contemporary London. Claire admits she avoided reading Dracula, explores the yōkai of traditional Japanese mythology and explains how listening to Asian recipes reminds her of her mother.Claire's recommendations:On the nightstand: Where The Wild Ladies Are, by Matsuda Aoko, translated by Polly Barton, published by Tilted Axis Press and The Korean VeganOn my mind: Turn Away by Laura Moody (song)On the shelf: Barbara Hepworth: Writings and ConversationsOn the pedestal: Susanne Valadon See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.
Whether you have worked in a cubicle or not, we think you'll enjoy these books set in an office (or sometimes, a nightmare office). Books mentioned on this episode: The Devil Wears Prada by Lauren Weisberger, Attachments by Rainbow Rowell, The Beautiful Bureaucrat by Helen Phillips, Horrorstör by Grady Hendrix, and There's No Such Thing as an Easy Job by Kikuko Tsumura, translated by Polly Barton. --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/keepitfictional/message
This is the second half of the conversation I had last autumn with Polly Barton, a translator from Japanese and the author of a terrific memoir cum reflection on language and translation, Fifty Sounds. In the first part we talked about Polly's early fascination with Japan and language, and her decision aged 21 to go to live and work on a remote Japanese island and her experience of learning the language. In this part we talk about her decision to become a translator, some of the challenges that presented, and presents, and also about her book.Fifty Sounds has fifty chapters, each of which takes a single Japanese word as its starting point or leitmotiv. All of these words are so-called ‘mimetics', a distinctive and richly expressive class of word in Japanese that merits its own chunky dictionary, but which in the English language we generally pay little attention to. They're words that give colour and individuality to storytelling; the kind of words that convey the speaker's sense of being an embodied person in the world, alert to its texture and feel. In choosing to build her book around these words, Polly seems to get to the heart of Japanese, or if that is too grand a claim, to capture the essence of what it meant to her to learn Japanese and to begin to glimpse the world through the lens of Japanese. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
In this first part of my conversation with translator and writer Polly Barton, we talk about Polly's early fascination with Japan and how she found herself on a remote Japanese island at the age of 21. ‘Sometimes', she writes in her book Fifty Sounds, ‘I wonder how I ever thought I'd survive, setting out for a rural island with just a handful of Japanese words to my name.' But survive she does and goes on to tell the tale... Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Welcome Back! Series Two: Horizons is here with Polly Barton. "I wanted to give people tools they could then forget about for the rest of the book." Polly Barton is here to talk about Fifty Sounds, winner of the Fitzcarraldo Essay Prize 2019. (BUY HERE!) Enjoyed this episode - why not send a small donation to support with the running costs! Thank you! - https://ko-fi.com/liambishop Rippling Points: Loving others and loving language: is there one without the other? Wittgenstein: even he got it wrong at times Reference Points: Books Ray Monk - Ludwig Wittgenstein: The Duty of Genius Theory John Bowlby's Theory of Attachment
Narrator Cindy Kay performs Kikuko Tsumura's deceptively titled work with a fine sense of pacing and an understated affect. Host Jo Reed and AudioFile's Alan Minskoff discuss her precise narration and the warmth in her voice that grounds the unnamed narrator's sometimes fantastic experiences. She doesn't want to work too hard, but in the jobs she finds, she does remarkable things, makes discoveries, solves mysteries, and is a fascinating character to spend time with. Read the full review of the audiobook on AudioFile's website. Published by Dreamscape. Learn more about all of AudioFile's Golden Voice narrators on our website. Find more audiobook recommendations at audiofilemagazine.com Support comes from Oasis Audio, publisher of Tarzan and the Ant Men, the tenth in the complete Authorized Tarzan collection. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Bookmark This! Ep 20: Feminists take on literary classics (Women's Day edition) 22:17 mins Synopsis: A monthly literary podcast by The Straits Times featuring titles in the headlines and sizzling reads. Bro! Tell me about a complicated man. In the Women's Day episode of this literary podcast, The Straits Times journalists Olivia Ho and Toh Wen Li talk about feminist translations of the male-dominated classics, such as Emily Wilson's groundbreaking The Odyssey and Maria Dahvana Headley's swaggering Beowulf. They also discuss rewrites of tradition like Natalie Haynes' A Thousand Ships, which recounts the Trojan War in myriad women's voices, and Aoko Matsuda's Where The Wild Ladies Are, a fresh spin on Japanese ghost stories. Listen at: Beowulf, translated by Maria Dahvana Headley (1:21) The Odyssey by Homer, translated by Emily Wilson (11:40) A Thousand Ships, rewritten by Natalie Haynes (16:40) Where The Wild Ladies Are, a 2016 collection of short stories by Aoko Matsuda, translated from Japanese to English in by Polly Barton last year (2020) (18:12) Produced by: Olivia Ho, Toh Wen Li and Penelope Lee Edited by: Penelope Lee Subscribe to Bookmark This! Podcast series and rate us on your favourite audio apps: Channel: https://str.sg/JWas Apple Podcasts: https://str.sg/JWae Spotify: https://str.sg/JWan Google Podcasts: https://str.sg/Ju4n Website: http://str.sg/stpodcasts Feedback to: podcast@sph.com.sg Read Olivia's stories: https://str.sg/JbhW Read Toh Wen Li's stories: https://str.sg/Jbhm --- Discover more ST podcast series: Asian Insider Podcast: https://str.sg/JWa7 Green Pulse Podcast: https://str.sg/JWaf Health Check Podcast: https://str.sg/JWaN ST Sports Talk Podcast: https://str.sg/JWRE Life Weekend Picks Podcast: https://str.sg/JWa2 #PopVultures Podcast: https://str.sg/JWad Lunch With Sumiko Podcast: https://str.sg/J6hQ Discover BT Podcasts: http://bt.sg/podcasts Follow our shows then, if you like short, practical podcasts! See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Bookmark This! Ep 20: Feminists take on literary classics (Women's Day edition) 22:17 mins Synopsis: A monthly literary podcast by The Straits Times featuring titles in the headlines and sizzling reads. Bro! Tell me about a complicated man. In the Women's Day episode of this literary podcast, The Straits Times journalists Olivia Ho and Toh Wen Li talk about feminist translations of the male-dominated classics, such as Emily Wilson's groundbreaking The Odyssey and Maria Dahvana Headley's swaggering Beowulf. They also discuss rewrites of tradition like Natalie Haynes' A Thousand Ships, which recounts the Trojan War in myriad women's voices, and Aoko Matsuda's Where The Wild Ladies Are, a fresh spin on Japanese ghost stories. Listen at: Beowulf, translated by Maria Dahvana Headley (1:21) The Odyssey by Homer, translated by Emily Wilson (11:40) A Thousand Ships, rewritten by Natalie Haynes (16:40) Where The Wild Ladies Are, a 2016 collection of short stories by Aoko Matsuda, translated from Japanese to English in by Polly Barton last year (2020) (18:12) Produced by: Olivia Ho, Toh Wen Li and Penelope Lee Edited by: Penelope Lee Subscribe to Bookmark This! Podcast series and rate us on your favourite audio apps: Channel: https://str.sg/JWas Apple Podcasts: https://str.sg/JWae Spotify: https://str.sg/JWan Google Podcasts: https://str.sg/Ju4n Website: http://str.sg/stpodcasts Feedback to: podcast@sph.com.sg Read Olivia's stories: https://str.sg/JbhW Read Toh Wen Li's stories: https://str.sg/Jbhm --- Discover more ST podcast series: Asian Insider Podcast: https://str.sg/JWa7 Green Pulse Podcast: https://str.sg/JWaf Health Check Podcast: https://str.sg/JWaN ST Sports Talk Podcast: https://str.sg/JWRE Life Weekend Picks Podcast: https://str.sg/JWa2 #PopVultures Podcast: https://str.sg/JWad Lunch With Sumiko Podcast: https://str.sg/J6hQ Discover BT Podcasts: http://bt.sg/podcasts Follow our shows then, if you like short, practical podcasts! See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Bookmark This! Ep 20: Feminists take on literary classics (Women's Day edition) 22:17 mins Synopsis: A monthly literary podcast by The Straits Times featuring titles in the headlines and sizzling reads. Bro! Tell me about a complicated man. In the Women's Day episode of this literary podcast, The Straits Times journalists Olivia Ho and Toh Wen Li talk about feminist translations of the male-dominated classics, such as Emily Wilson's groundbreaking The Odyssey and Maria Dahvana Headley's swaggering Beowulf. They also discuss rewrites of tradition like Natalie Haynes' A Thousand Ships, which recounts the Trojan War in myriad women's voices, and Aoko Matsuda's Where The Wild Ladies Are, a fresh spin on Japanese ghost stories. Listen at: Beowulf, translated by Maria Dahvana Headley (1:21) The Odyssey by Homer, translated by Emily Wilson (11:40) A Thousand Ships, rewritten by Natalie Haynes (16:40) Where The Wild Ladies Are, a 2016 collection of short stories by Aoko Matsuda, translated from Japanese to English in by Polly Barton last year (2020) (18:12) Produced by: Olivia Ho, Toh Wen Li and Penelope Lee Edited by: Penelope Lee Subscribe to Bookmark This! Podcast series and rate us on your favourite audio apps: Channel: https://str.sg/JWas Apple Podcasts: https://str.sg/JWae Spotify: https://str.sg/JWan Google Podcasts: https://str.sg/Ju4n Website: http://str.sg/stpodcasts Feedback to: podcast@sph.com.sg Read Olivia's stories: https://str.sg/JbhW Read Toh Wen Li's stories: https://str.sg/Jbhm --- Discover more ST podcast series: Asian Insider Podcast: https://str.sg/JWa7 Green Pulse Podcast: https://str.sg/JWaf Health Check Podcast: https://str.sg/JWaN ST Sports Talk Podcast: https://str.sg/JWRE Life Weekend Picks Podcast: https://str.sg/JWa2 #PopVultures Podcast: https://str.sg/JWad Lunch With Sumiko Podcast: https://str.sg/J6hQ Discover BT Podcasts: http://bt.sg/podcasts Follow our shows then, if you like short, practical podcasts! See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Episode three in a series of podcasts exploring the world of Japanese literature. Hosted by translator Polly Barton in partnership with Writers' Centre Norwich. This is the second of a two-part conversation about Aoko Matsuda, one of Japan's most promising young writers. Aoko has published four collections of stories; English translations of her work include “Photographs Are Images” and “Love Isn't Easy When You Are The National Anthem” (trans. Jeffrey Angles) in Monkey Business, “Smartening Up” (trans. Polly Barton) in Granta, and “Planting” published as part of the Waseda Bungaku Japan Earthquake Charity Literature project (trans. Angus Turvill). Here, Polly speaks to Angus Turvill, a UK-based translator who has translated two pieces by Aoko Matsuda. This includes the KESHIKI chapbook 'The Girl Who is Getting Married'.
Episode two in a series of podcasts exploring the world of Japanese literature. Hosted by translator Polly Barton in partnership with Writers' Centre Norwich. This is the first of a two-part conversation with Aoko Matsuda, one of Japan's most promising young writers. Aoko has published four collections of stories; English translations of her work include “Photographs Are Images” and “Love Isn't Easy When You Are The National Anthem” (trans. Jeffrey Angles) in Monkey Business, “Smartening Up” (trans. Polly Barton) in Granta, and “Planting” published as part of the Waseda Bungaku Japan Earthquake Charity Literature project (trans. Angus Turvill). Aoko visited Norwich UNESCO City of Literature in August 2017 for a month-long writing residency, alongside Polly Barton. Here, Aoko and Polly are joined in conversation by Motoyuki Shibata, editor of the English-language literary journal Monkey Business, as well as of the Japanese-language journal Monkey.
The first in a series of podcasts exploring the world of Japanese literature. Hosted by translator Polly Barton in partnership with Writers' Centre Norwich. Episode One focuses on KESHIKI, an exciting series of eight chapbooks showcasing some of the most talented writers working in Japan today. KESHIKI, published by Strangers Press (part of the UEA Publishing Project) in February 2017, offers unusual perspectives on contemporary Japan from well-known names and new voices – many of which have a particular connection to Norwich, UNESCO City of Literature. In the first of a two-part conversation, Polly speaks to editors Kate Griffin and Phil Langeskov about the KESHIKI series in general.