He is responsible for one of the most remarkable and touching films I’ve ever seen - Belleville Rendez-vous.

With that in mind, you’ll be able to understand my unbridled excitement concerning the release of his next offering, The Illusionist - a feature-length animation set partly in Edinburgh.

The film, based on an unfinished Jacques Tati script, charts the journey of an elderly magician who travels from France to Scotland and who makes a few friends along the way.

The trailer alone is enough to make me squeal with glee. His interpretations of Edinburgh and the Scots are spot on. Using the same hand-drawn techniques that he used in Belleville Rendez-vous, Chomet has eschewed the conventional CGI and 3D methods of modern-day animation.

It is a treat to watch and I can’t wait for its full release in the UK from Friday, August 20. The Cine Lumiere in London is showing The Illusionist from Friday, September 3. You’ll see me at the front of the queue.

Trailer: The Illusionist

Based in north London, Peirene Press (named after a Greek nymph) is the brainchild of former Arabic language and literature student Meike Ziervogel.

Peirene’s strength lies in their willingness to be diverse. Not content with publishing just French or Spanish authors, they go to great lengths to search out the best in Catalan, German, Dutch and even Austrian German writing.

Rather unashamedly, we love Peirene Press. Yes, they are a competitor of sorts but we are fascinated and inspired by their passion for European literature and dedication to producing books of the highest quality.

Peirene’s main hook is that none of their books are more than 200 pages long. Indeed, as their website states: “Bored watching films? For a fascinating night in: Sink into a two-hour book!”

We couldn’t agree more.

Meike, could you tell us a bit about why you set up Peirene Press?
I set up Peirene just over two years ago in the summer of 2008. I feel that all my previous experiences led naturally to this decision.  I am a German, who has lived in London since 1987. I speak French and Arabic, I studied Arabic Literature here in London, I worked as a journalist and in my personal life I love reading.

Why were you inspired to concentrate on translating contemporary European fiction?
I want to bring to English readers important literary works that for some reason have never been translated. I am for example amazed that it was left to Peirene to publish the 20th century Catalan classic, ‘Stone in a Landslide’ by Maria Barbal, and one of the most controversial French novels of recent years, ‘Beside the Sea’ by Veronique Olmi, that sold 35,000 copies in France and a similar amount in Germany. With such books I am hopeful that I can challenge a very homogenous reading culture that is ripe for change. Whereas in Germany translated fiction constitutes 40 per cent of the market, until recently in this country that figure stood at three per cent. Translated works, when well done, pose two interesting questions: to what extent is this book foreign and to what extent is the foreign familiar?

Have you noticed a desire for more translated fiction?
Judging by the reception that our first two books received – absolutely. There seems to be a real hunger for different, and challenging, books. The response to the Peirene titles from critics, book bloggers, book shops and general readers has been fantastic. Moreover, everybody seems to be delighted with the high production standards of the Peirene books. Books are objects. They have to feel nice in your hands. I personally don’t like turning pages that feel like toilet paper. Thus I made sure that we use nice paper, French flaps and a thoughtful design.

Where does that leave you with e-books?
We’re in the process of setting up and sorting out our e-book offer at the moment. I’m very excited to see what e-readers will do to our reading habits. However, I don’t think the book will ever disappear. I imagine that we might indeed be looking at many more texts because we can download them cheaply onto the e-reader, see if we like it. If not we delete, if yes, we will buy the book.

Your first book, ‘Beside the Sea’, tells the dark story of a woman who travels to the seaside with her two young children. What inspired you to publish it?
Beside the Sea tackles one of the biggest taboo subjects in our modern society – the destructive side of maternal love. The book is like a Greek Tragedy. It personifies and amplifies a psychological power which we all too often deny. That’s why we like to think of women who kill their children as monsters. And that’s why I believe this book arouses such strong responses, both positive and negative. It is an amazing, courageous book.

The text was initially brought to me by the translator, Adriana Hunter. She had come across it three years ago and was so impressed with it that she translated it in her own time. She tried to find a publisher, but they all declined either because of the book’s shortness or the subject matter. And then she came across Peirene…

What else have you got in the pipeline?
We’ll be publishing our third book in September – ‘Portrait of the Mother as a Young Woman’ by Friedrich Christian Delius. The text consists of just one, 117-page-long sentence that reads like a page turner. Seriously. The plot describes a walk of a young German woman through Rome in 1943; it takes her about one and a half hours to reach her destination - about the same time it will take someone to read the book.

What does the future hold for Peirene Press?
In regard to the very near future- I am thri1led that Peirene Title No. 3 ‘Portrait of the Mother as a Young Woman’ has just been selected for a 3for2 Xmas offer at Blackwell’s. A high street bookseller usually only offers main stream books such a promotion deal.

Final question; could you tell us your favourite translated fiction book?
I don’t have an all-time favourite. For that I just like too many books. However, I have flavours of the moment. At the present I’m recommending the Brazilian writer Clarice Lispector’s novel ‘The Apple in the Dark’ which has just been republished in a newly edited version by Haus Publishing. Lispector’s plotlines are very simple, but her extraordinary usage of language carries her stories to unexpected heights and indeed depths.

Since Sir Arthur Conan Doyle first unveiled Sherlock Holmes to the world in 1887 there have been thousands of interpretations, imitations and homages to the great sleuth in a great many different forms. The detective and his faithful sidekick, Dr John Watson, have materialised in feature length films and television dramas (Holmes continues to be most filmed character in all of literary fiction), cartoons, computer games, stage plays and, of course, literary fiction.

Many of these homages have their roots in the UK – after all isn’t Sherlock Holmes a British institution? But the most fantastic thing about Holmes and the (fictional) world Doyle created around him was that he enjoyed a global following.

And to that international catalogue of Sherlock Holmes spin-offs the team here at Gallic Books are immensely proud to add ‘The Baker Street Phantom’ by French author Fabrice Bourland. Published last week, ‘The Baker Street Phantom’ comes hot on the tail of a Sherlock Holmes resurgence which seems to be sweeping the nation.

The BBC’s ‘Sherlock‘ has proved a roaring success while ‘The Secret of Sherlock Holmes’ continues to pull in the crowds at London’s Duchess Theatre. The world’s favourite consulting detective has also even made an appearance on Channel 4’s Newsnight…

And so to celebrate the re-emergence of one of literary fiction’s greatest characters as well as the publication of Fabrice Bourland’s wonderful novel, we’ve decided to give away, starting today, one copy each day this week of ‘The Baker Street Phantom’.

In true 221B Baker Street style, we’ll post a challenging question/puzzle on this blog each day this week. One winner, pulled at random out of a deerstalker, each day will be sent a copy of ‘The Baker Street Phantom’.

May the best sleuther win…

Tuesday, July 27

My first is in Moriarty, but not in Doctor
My second is in Mystery, but not in Thriller
My third is in Victoria, but not in Albert
My fourth is in Sherlock, but not in Holmes
My fifth is in Watson, but not in Friend
My sixth is in Five, but not in Orange Pips
My seventh is in Street, but not in Baker

Who am I?

Clue: yvaeh t’nia eh (He ain’t heavy)

Answer: MYCROFT (Sherlock Homes’ brother)

WINNER: Alison Eden (Flintshire)

Wednesday, July 28

There are five Sherlock Holmes/’The Baker Street Phantom’ related words in the below wordsearch. Can you discover what they are?

Answers: ‘Bourland’, ‘Doyle’, ‘Moriarty’, ‘Sherlock’ and ‘Watson’

WINNER: Freddie Watson (Tyne and Wear)

Thursday, July 30

Can you decipher the following words and find the name of a popular Sherlock Holmes adventure?

‘Gsv Zwevmgfiv lu gsv Hkvxpovw Yzmw’

Clue: tebahpla (alphabet)

Answer: The Adventure of the Speckled Band

WINNER: Angela Spencer

Friday, July 30

We’ve hidden three images, all of our Gallic Times - Issue 2 catalogue (see above) on our site.

To be in with a chance of winning an exclusive copy of ‘The Baker Street Phantom’ by Fabrice Bourland simply search our site for the three pictures and e-mail the page links to svein@gallicbooks.com before 10pm today.

To receive your own free copy of Gallic Times - Issue 2 then simply drop svein@gallicbooks.com a line or download a free digital version here.

There are a few blogs, however, like Scott Pack’s Me and My Big Mouth or Vulpes Libris who consistently manage a steady stream of quality multi-genre suggestions.

And here in the Gallic Books office we are always recommending books to one another. Some are taken onboard and some are rejected. And with a few of us taking our summer holidays this month we thought we’d enter into the spirit and take the opportunity to let each other know our (three and a bit) summer reading choices.

So whether you don’t know what to pick up at the airport or are struggling to fit Stieg Larsson’s trilogy into your carry-on luggage and are looking for a replacement, then look no further. Here’s what we recommend…

Do you agree with us? Are you surprised by our choices? Have we missed any obvious ones? Or are we all just a little bit boring? Let us know by using the comments box at the bottom of the page…only if you don’t think we’re boring.

Jane Aitken

1) The Terrible Privacy of Maxwell Sim - Jonathan Coe

I’ve enjoyed all the other Jonathan Coe books I’ve read, especially The Rotter’s Club, which is  so evocative of the 70’s (alas the decade I came of age in). I also liked Viking’s description of the book as ‘reinventing the picaresque novel for our time’.

2) When the Lights Went Out - Andy Beckett

I want to read this one for its analysis of what really happened politically in the Heath, Callaghan and Thatcher years. The decade, with its financial crises and industrial confrontations, seems to have set the political narrative that still applies today.

3) The Lacuna - Barbara Kingsolver

This is our bookclub read for September, and I’ve always wanted to read ‘The Poisonwood Bible’ which I will now get round to.

3.5) I’m also attempting to read all of Proust but have only ever managed ‘Du Côté de Chez Swann’. So I’ll try to get to ‘À l’ombre des Jeunes Filles en Fleurs’.

Guy Ramage

1) The Summer Book - Tove  Jansson

I’ve been recommended this for holiday reading more than any other book. Plus the Moomin stories were great.

2) A Book of Silence - Sara Maitland

A meditation on the healing nature of silence, an intriguing antidote to modern life.

3) Ordinary Thunderstorms - William Boyd

One of my favourite writers and recommended by half the office!

Pilar Webb

1) The Leopard - Giuseppe Tomasi di Lampedusa

I’ve read very little Italian fiction and think this would be an interesting place to start.

2) Any Human Heart - William Boyd

Boyd is a brilliant writer. That’s all I can say.

3) Madame Bovary - Gustave Flaubert

It’s about time!

Alison Savage

1) The Perfect Summer - Juliet Nicolson

I’ve picked this up on the recommendation of Guy (Ramage; see above). I love a bit of that Edwardian, end-of-an-era stuff.

2)  At Home: A Short History of Private Life - Bill Bryson

Anything by Bill Bryson is both amusing and informative.

3) Madresfield: One House, One Family, One Thousand Years - Jane Mulvagh

Anything Waugh or Brideshead related must be read!

Alison Wood

1) Alex’s Adventures in Numberland – Alex Bellos

I bought this for my daughter who is considering studying maths at university and it looks really interesting so think I’ll give it a go myself.

2) Open – Andre Agassi

I’m a big tennis fan and always thought Agassi was more interesting than some of the other players. I’m looking forward to reading what he has to say about life on the tour, and also to getting an insight into player psyches.

3) What Would I Be Without You – Guillaume Musso

I can’t wait for the manuscript of this French bestseller which is the Gallic Books superlead for 2011. I’ve heard so much about it. Sadly my French isn’t up to reading the original…

Svein Clouston

1) Nothing to Envy: Real Lives in North Korea - Barbara Demick

I’m a big fan of the BBC Samuel Johnson Prize for non-fiction and this won the award in 2010. I’ve already started this and it is a riveting read.

2) Death and the Penguin - Andrey Kurkov

Richard Reynolds at Heffers in Cambridge recently recommended this to one of our authors, Francois Lelord. The premise sounded ridiculous (A black comedy crime thriller in which the main protagonist owns a pet penguin) but i’m looking forward to it.

3) Waiting for the Evening News: Stories of the Deep South - Tim Gautreaux

I loved Gautreaux’s previous novel ‘The Missing’ and get a real kick out of short stories. This collection won’t disappoint.

Thanks to everyone who entered the 2010 Gallic Books Bastille Day Quiz. We had more entries than ever before and with 99% getting all the answers correct we needed a particularly big chapeau for all the entries.

The answers, and winners, are posted below. Congratulations and thanks again to all of you who took part. Same again next year…
The 2010 Gallic Books Bastille Day Quiz

1) What is the 16th word of the French National anthem ‘La Marseillaise’? Tyrannie

2) What was ‘The Marais Assassin’ by Claude Izner previously published as in France? Le Secret des Enfants-Rouges

3) Who captained France in football’s 1998 World Cup Final? Didier Deschamps

4) Which Gallic Books author is responsible for the the Agnes de Souarcy chronicles? Andrea H. Japp

5) Who was the king of France during the French Revolution? Louis XVI

6) What is the longest river in France? The Loire

7) Who wrote ‘Le Petit Prince’? Antoine de Saint-Exupery

Jacques Brel was born in Belgium. True or false? True

9) How many copies has the Suicide Shop by Jean Teulé sold in hardback in France? 53,000

10) Who translated ‘Checkout: A Life on the Tills’ for Gallic Books? Morag Young

List of prizes, and winners
•    A book of your choice from the Gallic Books list - Deborah Snowdon
•    Personally signed copies of ‘The Officer’s Prey’, ‘Wolf Hunt’ and ‘Memory of Flames’ by A Cabasson - Yvonne Poole, Laura Sanderson and Amanda Wakefield
•    A signed copy of Francois Lelord’s ‘Hector and the Search for Happiness’ - Nadir Kamran
•    A hot-off-the-press copy of ‘The Baker Street Phantom’ by Fabrice Bourland - Diane Smith
•    A hot-off-the-press copy of ‘The Predator of Batignolles’ by Claude Izner - Lora McGinlay
•    A ‘Hector and the Search for Happiness’ promotional poster - Solange Thomas
•    A ‘Clisson and Eugenie’ promotional poster - Nicola Perkins
•    A ‘The Baker Street Phantom’ promotional poster - Neil Yeoman

Prizes will be sent out on the week commencing Monday, July 26

These have included the Agnes de Souarcy chronicles by Andrea H. Japp along with a number of the Claude Izners and, more recently, Francois Lelord’s ‘Hector and the Search for Happiness’. Lorenza has also translated the second in the Hector series, ‘Hector and the Secrets of Love’, out in February 2011.

We recently asked our readers, Twitter followers and Facebook group members to send in questions for Lorenza. Here, along with a few extras, are those questions … and answers.

Many thanks to all those who sent in questions as well as Lorenza for taking part in the Q&A session.

Q: How did you come to be a translator?

A: It’s something I fell into to be honest. I lived in three different foreign countries from an early age and, through living there, became naturally receptive to other languages and idioms as well as to the difficulties of the translation process.

I did a degree that included languages, which I loved. And I often translated odd bits and pieces for friends. I also did subtitling, which I enjoyed because I love translating dialogue and the need to be very concise is a challenge. But my lucky break came when I wrote to a publisher, Harvill Press, suggesting they translate a Spanish book I had found. In the end, they decided not to take it on but instead hired me as a reader. From there, I was recommended to Gallic Books as a translator.

Q: Do you have to enjoy reading to be a translator?

A: I imagine it helps. I certainly do, and as a translator I try to read as widely as possible. I also read a lot of novels in translation. I find it useful to see how other translators deal with the same sorts of problems that crop up in every language.

Q: Do you enjoy translating?

A: Yes, definitely. It is a challenge but one that I enjoy. It is good when a book is well-written and the translation flows. But any writing can be tricky, particularly when there’s a lot of word play or novel use of language involved. That’s when you have to draw on your skills and judgement as a translator.

A fellow translator said to me once that translating was like ‘being forced to wear a hair shirt from dawn to dusk.’ I certainly don’t feel that way about my work!

Q: What is the hardest part of translating?

A: The hardest part is keeping faithful to the original text but not so faithful that the translation doesn’t flow. Translating is a little bit like reading music. There is a tone and a rhythm to a piece which you have to try to reproduce. For example, if the sentences in the original are deliberately short, your job as a translator is to try to keep them short.

Q: Do you speak with the author of the books you translate?

A: No, I never have but it does happen in the translating world. I’ve heard stories about authors who are very hands-on and invite their translators to meetings to discuss the various translation issues. On the other hand, there are some authors who don’t recognise translations of their work.

Jose Saramago once referred to the translations of his novels as ‘adaptations’. That shows, I think, his great respect for the translator’s work.

Q: Which was your favourite Gallic Books title to translate? And why?
Anne, Norfolk

A: It would have to be ‘Hector and the Secrets of Love’, the second in the series of Hector’s journeys. Firstly, because it was great fun revisiting Hector as a character. It was almost like meeting up with an old friend.

Secondly, in the book Francois Lelord has invented an amusing plot that enables him to deal in a light-hearted but penetrating way with another complex, fraught subject. He reveals, among other things, the pitfalls of attempting to find fast solutions to life’s biggest mysteries. In this case, what makes people fall in and out of love.

I also really liked translating the latest Claude Izner, ‘The Predator of Batignolles’, because the plot revolved around the Paris Commune, which I find fascinating. And the main character Daglan is probably one of their best.

Q: Was it easy to translate the Andrea H. Japp books considering they are set in a completely different era?
Samantha, Brighton

A: Some of the dialogue in the Agnes de Souarcy Chronicles was particularly tricky because of the register Andrea H. Japp uses. I also had to be careful not to let any glaring anachronisms creep in, words or expressions that were far too modern for that period.

Q: Did you have to do any external research into Paris before translating the Claude Izner novels?
Jack, Newcastle

A: Not really. I know Paris quite well, and I have read a lot about that period in European history, so the places and events in the books were fairly familiar to me. I did look at old photographs to get more of a visual feel for the period in which the novels took place, in particular those by Eugène Atget, who was noted for documenting buildings and street scenes of nineteenth century Paris.

Q: I enjoyed reading ‘Hector and the Search for Happiness’ as I found it a very simple book to read. Was it simple to translate?
Deirdre, Tyndrum

A: It is deceptively simple. Because it presents complex concepts in a faux-naif style I had to be careful not to be tempted to use, as Hector might say, ‘big’ words. I had to respect the reason why Lelord wrote ‘Hector and the Search for Happiness’ in that way – to demystify certain truths and present them in a fresh light.

Q: Who is your favourite French author?
Alison, Cardiff

A: One of my favourite French authors is Guy de Maupassant because, like Chekhov, his stimulus comes from life and not literature. He excavates the everyday and presents it to us in an unexpected way. I also like Georges Simenon for his portrayal of the underbelly of French society and his pet obsessions of greed, lust and madness.

Our list includes some fantastic historical fiction (by authors such as Claude Izner, Jean-Francois Parot, Andrea H. Japp and Armand Cabasson), a black comedy (The Suicide Shop), a laugh-out-loud exposé of the supermarket business (Checkout), a modern fable about one man’s struggle for happiness (Hector and the Search for Happiness) and an international bestseller (The Elegance of the Hedgehog).

We’ve even translated into English a novella by one of the continent’s most famous military and political leaders…

But we’re not the only one championing foreign literature. There are dozens of publishers in the UK who are helping to bring international writers to these shores. Some publish, like us, contemporary fiction, while others promote the classics. Some endorse Eastern European languages while others translate from Spanish, Italian and, of course, French.

And we believe this is a fantastic thing. Rather than bemoan the fact that other publishers might be treading on our turf, it is our belief that more of the same can only be a good thing. The more translated fiction there is out there, the more popular it will become.

For that reason, we’ve decided to use the Gallic Books blog to highlight, each month, the fantastic work of a fellow publisher.

First up is Richmond’s Alma Books, owned by husband and wife duo Alessandro Gallenzi and Elisabetta Minervini. Alma is responsible for the Michel Benoît bestseller ‘The Thirteenth Apostle’ and one of their most recent (English language) publications, ‘The Very Thought of You’ by Rosie Alison was shortlisted for the Orange Prize 2010.

Alessandro, can you give us a brief introduction to Alma Books?
Yes, sure. My wife and I launched Alma and Oneworld Classics in 2005, seven years after we came over to the UK from Italy. We saw a gap in the market for translated fiction and, following a few years working in the book trade, set up our own publishers, Hesperus Press, in 2001.

At Alma we publish up to twenty titles a year, mainly contemporary literary fiction. About eight of these are translations from languages such as French, Spanish, Italian, Russian, German and Japanese. We also publish two or three non-fiction titles each year. Oneworld Classics publishes around fifty titles per year, seventy per cent of which are translations.

We are particularly strong in French classics, and are the UK publisher of world-renowned authors such as Celine, Artaud, Ionesco, Duras, Robbe-Grillet, not to mention Flaubert, Stendhal and many others. Significantly, my wife Elisabetta was made Chevalier des Arts et des Lettres by the French Embassy in 2009 for her work in promoting French literature in the UK.

What experience did you have of the book trade before launching your own publishing company?
When I came over from Italy I worked for a year at Grant and Cutler (the foreign language bookseller). After that I set up the UK office of an international book distributor based in the Middle East. I was lucky to get such an all-round experience of the book industry. It has proved very valuable.

How does Alma Books decide which (foreign language) book to publish?
We receive a lot of submissions from overseas publishers. My wife and I also travel to countries like France, Spain and Italy and visit publishers there. It isn’t just a question of looking at the bestseller charts in a country and deciding to publish whatever is successful. The book has to be right for Alma and right for the UK market.

For example, Michel Benoît’s ‘The Thirteenth Apostle’ attracted our interest because of its literary qualities and commercial possibilities. It has sold very well for us – more than 75,000 copies so far.

Do you think there is a market for translated fiction?
Absolutely, yes. It is expanding all the time. People are travelling more and more and becoming more interested in foreign cultures. The success of Stieg Larsson and ‘The Elegance of the Hedgehog’ shows that. I think that people’s perceptions are changing and that it no longer matters what the original language of a book is.

There are a great number of success stories out there. A lot of good publishers are introducing translated fiction into their list and that is a good sign.

Even when companies like Amazon, with Amazon Crossing, are starting to get in on the act?
Yes. Competition is always good. It means more investment in foreign fiction and better quality as well. Amazon’s involvement will only serve to improve the perception of translated fiction in the marketplace. In turn, the booksellers will see this trend and give it their support.

Finally Alessandro, could you give us your favourite translated fiction book?
That’s a difficult one! I’ll have to think. In fact, I’ll have to give you two.  My two favourites are ‘Germinal’ by Emile Zola and ’The Devils’ by Dostoyevsky. They are two books of the highest quality.

If there are any publishers you would like to see featured or particular questions you would like us to ask, then please don’t hesitate to leave a comment or e-mail svein@gallicbooks.com.

Since then he’s gone on to appear in a string of international hits such as Molière, Paris and Afterwards (which, incidentally, is based on the book ‘Et après’ by Gallic Books author Guillaume Musso.

This summer sees the UK release for his latest film Heartbreaker and London-based Francophiles will be whooping with joy to learn that it will be shown at the French Institute’s wonderful Ciné lumière in South Kensington.

Heartbreaker sees Duris play a professional breaker-up of relationships. It is part slapstick comedy and it’ll be interesting to see how the Frenchman plays his role having made his name in much grittier films. However, if the trailer is anything to go by the signs are good.

The film has received rave reviews in France where it has raced to the top of the cinema charts. The Ciné lumière are showing it, with subtitles, on two nights in June and ten nights in July. Make sure you catch it while you can!

Posted by Svein, 17th June 2010

The trend is starting to change, but it’s still an interesting question. Of the fiction sold in Britain, only three per cent is translated. The same astonishing figure applies to the American market where the University of Rochester’s website Three Percent is doing its best to raise awareness of the paucity of international literature on US bestseller lists.

Last week, Gallic Books brought François Lelord – bestselling author of Hector and the Search for Happiness – along to the inaugural ‘Translated Fiction’ evening at Heffers in Cambridge. François was joined by Danish writer, and author of the stunning ‘We, The Drowned’, Carsten Jensen (Guardian review) The event was an opportunity for both men to introduce their books but also a forum where people could answer questions such as the very one at the top of this blog.

‘Hector and the Search for Happiness’ and ‘We, The Drowned’ are two very different books. One tells the story of a young, country-hopping, French psychiatrist in search of answers to one of life’s biggest questions. The other, a 700-page nautical behemoth, immerses the reader into an epic story about a small fishing island in Denmark. And while both authors command much literary attention in their native countries, they recognised that promoting their books in the UK saw them having to start from scratch.

“The cultural gap between the UK and the rest of the European continent is bigger than the geographical gap,” conceded Jensen. He went on to say, “The UK is a very insular country and its bookshops reflect this. Unfortunately, if you walk around a bookshop in the UK you won’t see many foreign writers. This isn’t the case in a bookshop on the continent.”

“There is a very strong tradition of experimental literature in Europe,” explained Lelord.
“British fiction lacks this which is both good and bad. On one hand people are put off by experimental literature but at the same time it inspires international writers to improve their storytelling.”

Amazon’s top ten fiction bestsellers this week illustrate this point about good storytelling. Stieg Larsson’s Millenium trilogy (www.stieglarsson.com) dominates (1, 2 and 3) with Hans Fallada’s ‘Alone in Berlin’ also selling well (6). Further down the list and foreign fiction is conspicuous by its inclusion: ‘The Prince of Mist’ (14), ‘The White Woman on the Green Bicycle’ (22), ‘The Wings of the Sphinx’ (33) and our very own The Elegance of the Hedgehog (53) are all fantastic reads and worthy of a place on your bookshelf.

But why aren’t there more? Do you agree with Carsten Jensen in that foreign writers will always find it difficult to crack the UK market? Or do the adventures of Lisbeth Salander and Mikael Blomqvist mean that we will see more international authors and storytellers make their mark in the UK in the years to come?

Yes, we already tweet (with 172 followers and growing…).
Yes, we already have a Facebook group (with 163 people and growing…).

But in our continuing quest to bring you the best of French in English, we’ve decided to launch a blog!
Our main aim of this blog will be to champion the very best of all things Gallic – literature, music, cinema and general culture. We hope to include things like interviews with translators, portraits of other translation publishers as well as any interesting stories which catch our eye from across the Channel.

We’ve kicked things off with a report from the Translated Fiction night held at Heffers in Cambridge last week. If there is anything you’d like us to take a look at or think we might have missed then don’t hesitate to get in touch with us.

Hope you enjoy the blog…