Belletrista

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"The Four Hundred Pleats" by Greek author Amanda Michalopoulou	"The Wig Maker" by Welsh author Vanessa Gebbie	The Women of Nordic Crime: A Dozen Mavens of Murder

Welcome readers to our latest issue, filled, as always, with great writing by women from around the world. We are delighted to present two short stories for your reading pleasure. Additionally, we've put together an overview of twelve Nordic crime writers, and feature an intriguing discussion of Japanese author Banana Yoshimoto's short novel, Kitchen. Seventeen reviews by our global readers grace this issue, as do over sixty New & Notable books (we've given Canada their own New & Notable section). We are pleased to note that thirteen of the twenty 2011 Orange Prize longlisted books were featured on these pages during the course of the last year! We always aim to provide excellent reading and find interesting books for all of our devoted readers!

Reviews
Click on 'Reviews' to see the full list of this issue's reviews...

RAJMAHAL

Kamalini Sengupta

The ghosts of Kamalini Sengupta's Rajmahal fret and fume over renovations made to the Calcutta mansion as it is sold and divided into six apartments. Even more disturbing is the motley cross-section of fashionable Calcutta society that moves into those apartments.
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Reviewed by Jane A. Jones

THE SEINE WAS RED: PARIS, OCTOBER 1961

Leila Sebbar

Translated from the French by Mildred Mortimer

Paris, 17 October 1961: Tens of thousands of French Algerians descended upon Paris to engage in a peaceful protest against a curfew imposed upon them by Maurice Papon, the infamous Prefect of Police. The curfew was a response to a bombing campaign against …
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Reviewed by Darryl Morris

FAREWELLS TO PLASMA

Natasza Goerke

Translated from the Polish by W. Martin

Twisted Spoon is an English language publisher of Eastern European literature, based in Prague. Their mission, according to their website, includes the translation of 'eclectic and unique' works previously denied to English readers. Enter Natasza Goerke.
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Reviewed by Andy Barnes

VISITATION

Jenny Erpenbeck

Translated from the German by Susan Bernofsky

Home—a place where dreams are dreamt, lives are lived, and families grow. Homes are filled with joy, but also house tragedy. They are the places most integral to our existence, and yet …
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Reviewed by Caitlin Fehir

THE TEA LORDS

Hella S. Haasse

Translated from the Dutch by Ina Rilke

The lush verdant landscape of the Gamboeng plantation in Java dominates both the beginning and the ending of this dense family saga of Dutch plantation owners; it is truly the dominant character in Haasse's fine novel. She describes 'a drapery of dense, vivid green covering a gigantic, recumbent body' and speaks of 'the embrace of the jungle' as if it were a living, breathing human.
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Reviewed by Chris Mills

CONVERSATIONS:

Three readers discuss Banana Yoshimoto's Kitchen

If Written By a Woman

Visit our new Belletrista blog!

The Caine Prize for African Writing 2011 – shortlist announced

The shortlist for this year’s Caine Prize has just been announced and three women are in the running for the prestigious award. This is always an exciting time of year – the Prize is a great way to discover short stories by excellent writers. Lucky for us, the Prize’s website links to a copy of …Read the Rest

Belletrista - Issue 10
March/April 2011

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