Indiana University Press blog

Abdourahman Waberi to present lecture at Alliance Francaise

Abdourahman Waberi, author of Transit, will present a lecture at Alliance Francaise de Washington in Washington, DC, March 21 at 7:00 p.m. The event will be in French and English. For more information, visit Cultural Tourism DC's website.

Global African Voices series featured in Words Without Borders

In his piece for Words Without Borders, Anderson Tepper has some very nice things to say about us and our Global African Voices series. He writes that he was "intrigued by the idea of this series" and praises our press for "helping to blaze a trail in contemporary African writing, reclaiming and reissuing works other publishers had ignored." He goes on to recognize some other university presses that are also doing international literary series. Visit the Words Without Borders site to read the entire article.

Transit named to Best Translated Book Award Fiction Longlist

We are pleased to announce that David Ball's and Nicole Ball's translation of Transit by Abdourahman A. Waberi was named to the 2013 Best Translated Book Award Fiction Longlist! These awards, which were founded by the Three Percent blog, recognize the best original works of international poetry and fiction published in the United States during the previous year. Finalists in both the fiction and poetry categories will be announced April 10, with the awards ceremony taking place in New York City May 4. Each winning translator and author receives a $5,000 award and plaque. Good luck to Transit!

Book review: Modern Ladino Culture

"This is a groundbreaking and comprehensive study of the modernization of the culture of a minority group. ... On the basis of exhaustive research, Borovaya combines enlightening analysis with detailed information in a study that provides an innovative approach to the study of Ladino culture and Sephardi history. In addition to scholars of Sephardi studies, this work is of tremendous importance for those interested in cultural developments among minority groups, and the interconnections among various cultural aspects." —H-Judaic

Gerald Sorin to accept National Jewish Book Award next week

We are pleased to announce that Gerald Sorin has won the prestigious National Jewish Book Award in the Biography, Autobiography, Memoir category for his book Howard Fast: Life and Literature in the Left Lane! 

This new biography of Fast follows his life from a rough-and-tumble Jewish New York street kid to the rich and famous author of close to 100 books. Sorin illuminates the connections among Fast's Jewishness, his writings, and his left-wing politics, and explains Fast’s attraction to the Communist Party.

Sorin, along with other 2012 National Jewish Book Award winners, will be honored March 14 at a gala awards ceremony at the Center for Jewish History in Manhattan. The ceremony begins at 8:00 p.m. and is free and open to the public. For more information, visit the Jewish Book Council's website.

Publishers Weekly lists 'Blue White Red' in Literary Fiction Spring Announcements

Publishers Weekly lists Alain Mabanckou's novel Blue White Red in its Spring 2013 Announcements article on Literary Fiction! Blue White Red was Mabanckou's first novel, originally published in 1998 as Bleu Blanc Rouge by Présence Africaine. Mabanckou has a second debut of sorts with the first English translation of his book by Alison Dundy. He is in good company with other debut novelists in this PW article, including Anton DiSclafani (The Yonahlossee Riding Camp for Girls) and Helene Wecker (The Golem and the Jinni), among others.

Read more about Blue White Red on the IU Press website.

Book review: Anne Frank Unbound

"This engrossing collection of 12 interdisciplinary essays covers multiple aspects of 'the Anne Frank phenomenon,' including adaptations of the original diary or allusions to it in plays, films, documentaries, ballets, operas, poetry, popular songs, philosophical tracts, and other non-fiction and fiction works." —Broadside

Book review: Howard Fast

"Gerald Sorin’s biography of the Jewish-leftist writer Howard Fast (1914-2003) examines Fast’s life through the lens of his political identity. ... [S]uch a critical view is bound to stimulate new debate over the role of the artist in Cold War America." —Jewish Book Council

Videos: IU Press authors discuss writing at Indiana Authors Award events

Last fall, IUP authors Barbara Shoup (An American Tune) and Dan Wakefield (Going All the Way) were both recipients of the 2012 Eugene and Marilyn Glick Indiana Authors Award. Shoup won the award in the Regional Author category while Wakefield received the first-ever Lifetime Achievement award. We recently came across these videos from Indiana Authors Award events held September 29 at the Central Library in Indianapolis. Here is Shoup's reaction to being named the Regional Author winner (and we thank her for all the nice things she said about working with us!):

In this clip from a panel discussion with the Indiana Author Awards winners, Shoup and National Author winner John Green discuss books that influenced their careers:

During the panel, Dan Wakefield discusses his writing career and his relationship with fellow Indiana author Kurt Vonnegut:

And finally, IUP authors Norbert Krapf (Songs in Sepia and Black and White) and Monika Herzig (David Baker) talk about their books at the Indy Author Fair, held before the award dinner.

More videos from the event are available on the Central Library's YouTube channel.

'The Past Ahead' featured on Africa Book Club's 2012 Books of the Year list

Gilbert Gatore's debut novel The Past Ahead was featured by Africa Book Club as a 2012 Book of the Year and its Book of the Month for January 2013. In her review of the novel for Africa Book Club, Friederike Knabe says that it's "a powerful book, exquisitely crafted ... that deserves a wide readership.”

To read the full review, visit the Africa Book Club website.