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...

A GOOD LAND

Nada Awar Jarrar

Most people would consider Lebanon the last place on earth they want to be; then there are those who yearn to be there and nowhere else in the world. Layla, Margo and Kamal are three such souls, fiercely drawn to the city of Beirut with all its dreams and shadows.
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Reviewed by Akeela Gaibie-Dawood

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

A RIOT OF GOLDFISH

Kanoko Okamoto

Translated from the Japanese by J. Keith Vincent

The story "A Riot of Goldfish," traces Mataichi, the son of a goldfish breeder, through his lifelong struggles with his unrequited love for the daughter of the family's patron. He loves Masako, but she loves goldfish.
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Reviewed by Joyce Nickel

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

THE SHAPE OF HIM

Gill Schierhout

Sara Highbury, the manager of a Cape Town, South Africa boarding house, lives her life in the past. She is haunted by a man named Herbert Wakeford, the love of her life who suffered from a degenerative brain condition. One day not long after Herbert's death, another of Sara's lovers, Amin Hafferjee, pays her an unexpected visit, and Sara proceeds to tell him her life's story.
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Reviewed by Caitlin Fehir

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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