Tag - polly-barton

 
 

POLLY BARTON

“The Place of Shells” takes place mostly in Gottingen, Germany, where both the author and the book's narrator live, while also jumping both geographically and temporally to Sendai, Japan, through memories of the 3/11 disaster and its aftermath.
CULTURE / Books
Mar 10, 2025
Grief ebbs and flows between two tragedies in 'The Place of Shells'
Mai Ishizawa’s debut novel, which won one of the three Akutagawa Prizes awarded in 2021, is also her first to be released in English, translated by Polly Barton.
In Tomoka Shibasaki's short story collection "A Hundred Years and a Day," time flows architecturally, through the life of structures such as a ramen shop or a cinema.
CULTURE / Books
Feb 22, 2025
'A Hundred Years and a Day': Short stories unfold through the lives of structures and spaces
In Tomoka Shibasaki’s curious collection, time flows architecturally, plots meander by design and humans are unnamed, ephemeral and often disappear.
While non-Japanese readers have in recent years been spoiled for choice when it comes to Japanese literature in translation, there is still a wealth of notable works that translators would love to see rendered into English.
CULTURE / Books
Dec 20, 2023
A wish list of hidden gems for Japanese literature lovers
Eight translators reveal their top Japanese books that English readers have yet to enjoy.
Japan Times
CULTURE / Books
Jun 17, 2023
The quotidian madness of Mieko Kanai’s 'Mild Vertigo'
Originally published in 1997, “Mild Vertigo” is just as relevant today in its unpacking of meaning within the ennui of our often stultifying, consumer-driven modern age.
Japan Times
CULTURE / Books
Jun 20, 2021
Polly Barton's 'Fifty Sounds' is an excavation of language through onomatopoeia
Many readers may know Polly Barton better as the translator behind Aoko Matsuda’s “Where the Wild Ladies Are,” which won an English PEN award last year; and Kikuko Tsumura’s “There’s No Such Thing as an Easy Job,” released in November 2020. But if her latest individual work, “Fifty Sounds,”...
Japan Times
CULTURE / Books
Jan 2, 2021
Exciting books and translations from Japan to look out for in 2021
It's time to put 2020 behind us and look ahead to a new year with a new reading list. Here's a selection of intriguing titles coming out in the next 12 months.
Japan Times
CULTURE / Books
Nov 28, 2020
'There's No Such Thing as an Easy Job': How hard is it to find meaning in the modern workplace?
In Kikuko Tsumura's surreal and humorous novel, “There's No Such Things as an Easy Job,” an unnamed narrator sets her sights on trivial work after giving up her 14-year career.
Japan Times
CULTURE / Books / The World of Translators
Sep 19, 2020
Polly Barton: A heart set on literary translation
The Bristol-based translator balances art-related texts with literary translation and has just finished her first original work, “Fifty Sounds.”

Longform

Mount Fuji is considered one of Japan's most iconic symbols and is a major draw for tourists. It's still a mountain, though, and potential hikers need to properly prepare for any climb.
What it takes to save lives on Mount Fuji