This is an archived issue of Belletrista. If you are looking for the current issue, you can find it here
Belletrista - A site promoting translated women authored literature from around the world
Image of Beirut39 logo photo of Asa Larsson photo of open book

Thirty-nine Arab writers under the age of 39. Akeela Gaibie-Dawood looks at the award and the women who were honored.

Carolyn Kelly in praise of Swedish author Åsa Larsson

SPECIAL FEATURE: More reviews! In keeping with our short fiction theme this month, we review anthologies.

Happy New Year, and welcome to Belletrista's exciting third issue!

In this issue we have chosen to emphasize short fiction. Author Tania Hershman has written a wonderful piece on the subject (click on "Stopping to Smell the Miniature Roses" below), and we have put together a special section of anthology reviews. We were very pleased to discover that The Guardian has recently published an article on women and short fiction, too (once again proving that great minds think alike)! Here's a link to their article; perhaps you will enjoy reading it as much as we have here at Belletrista.

We like to think we have something for every fiction reader in this issue, and we hope you will explore all the magazine has to offer—from our regular reviews and new & notable offerings, to our engaging feature pieces which explore the work of Åsa Larsson, Annie Ernaux, and the very welcome Beirut39 project.We hope you will enjoy Belletrista 3, and will be interested in reading some of the excellent books highlighted here. Please let us know what you think—your comments are always welcome!

Reviews
Below is a tantalizingly small selection of this month's reviews....
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THE BURREN MYSTERIES
Cora Harrison

On April 21, 1509, Henry VIII became king of England and Lord of Ireland. His ascension to these titles mattered little to the Irish living in Western Ireland in the kingdom of Thomond....
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Reviewed by Jane Anderson Jones
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GRAZING THE LONG ACRE
Gwyneth Jones

Gwyneth Jones has been writing amazingly good science fiction and fantasy, from a feminist viewpoint, for several decades now.
READ MORE

Reviewed by Michael Matthew
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LANDSCAPE WITH DOG: AND OTHER STORIES
Ersi Sotiropoulos
Translated from the Greek by Karen Emmerich

Ersi Sotiropoulos is one of Greece's most beloved writers, and one can see why! She wields a delicate and finely-tuned pen.
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Reviewed by Akeela Gaibie-Dawood
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AMERICAN SALVAGE: STORIES
Bonnie Jo Campbell

The stories of Bonnie Jo Campbell go deep into America, past the stereotypes the world is familiar with, past the romance of ideals we have with our own culture, to a place that is raw and rough, where hope is an impermanent thing and dreams require courage to have.
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Reviewed by Jana Herlander
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AS THE EARTH TURNS SILVER
Alison Wong

Although As the Earth Turns Silver is Alison Wong's debut novel, the expectations are already high. In August this year she became just the third recipient of the Janet Frame award for fiction, which is fast becoming one of New Zealand's highest literary honours.
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Reviewed by Andy Barnes


Stopping to Smell the Miniature Roses
Picture of Tania Hershman
Author Tania Hershman on the wonders of short fiction.
TRIO:
Three Books by Annie Ernaux

Photo of Annie Ernaux
Darryl Morris introduces us to three novels by French author Annie Ernaux in Belletrista's first "TRIO" feature.
New and Notable Books
Photo of a pile of books
And with the New Year comes more interesting books for the Belletrista reader!