opinionated commentary on literary matters - from the complete review

The Literary Saloon Archive

21 - 31 January 2026

21 January: NBCC Awards finalists | Edgar Award finalists | Republic of Consciousness Prize (US/Canada) longlist | Georges Borchardt (1928-2026)
22 January: Gordon Burn Prize shortlist | 'Chinese Literature'
23 January: Dylan Thomas Prize longlist | The Dutch book market, 2025
24 January: Ali Smith's 'books of my life' | Prix Robert de Sorbon finalists | Q & As: Jeanette Winterson - Bogdan-Alexandru Stănescu
25 January: A River Runs Through It - the opera | Philippines regional literatures
26 January: Kolkata Literary Meet reports | Mark Tully (1935-2026)
27 January: Libris Literatuur Prijs longlist
28 January: Richard Stursberg Q & A | Sherborne Prize shortlist | Ice review
29 January: On the Road scroll for sale | Ockham NZ Book Awards longlists | Florian Zeller profile
30 January: New Asymptote | Wingate Prize | Filipino literature
31 January: PEN America Literary Awards finalists | James Sallis (1944-2026)

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       PEN America Literary Awards finalists

       PEN America has announced the finalists for its Literary Awards.

       The only three titles under review at the complete review are all finalists for the PEN Translation Prize:

• On the Calculation of Volume (Book III) by Solvej Balle, tr. Sophia Hersi Smith and Jennifer Russell
• The Remembered Soldier by Anjet Daanje, tr. David McKay
• Sons and Daughters by Chaim Grade, tr. Rose Waldman

       The winners will be announced 31 March.

(Posted by: M.A.Orthofer)    - permanent link -

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       James Sallis (1944-2026)

       Americn author James Sallis has passed away; see, for example, the Kirkus obituary.

(Posted by: M.A.Orthofer)    - permanent link -

       New Asymptote

       The January issue of Asymptote is now available -- a load of material for your weekend reading.

(Posted by: M.A.Orthofer)    - permanent link -

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       Wingate Prize

       They've announced the winner of this year's Wingate Prize, which is: "awarded to the best book, fiction or non-fiction, to convey the idea of Jewishness to the general reader", and it is The Gates of Gaza, by Amir Tibon; see also the publicity pages from Little, Brown and Scribe.

(Posted by: M.A.Orthofer)    - permanent link -

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       Filipino literature

       In the Philippine Star Carina Gaskell argues ‘There’s no market for Filipino literature’ is a lie. Here’s why..
       Gaskell notes:

Western publishing is one of the longest-standing bastions of imperialism. We need not look further than our own bookstores to see its dominance. While local literature is relegated to the back shelves of the Filipiniana section, white authors are front and center.

       I'd certainly like to see more Filipino fiction .....

(Posted by: M.A.Orthofer)    - permanent link -

       On the Road scroll for sale

       Indianapolis Colts-owner Jim Irsay purchased the typescript scroll of Jack Kerouac's On the Road at auction from Christie's in 2001 (for US$2,426,000), and now, 3 to 17 March, Christie's will be auctioning The Jim Irsay Collection, with the roll going up for auction again -- now with an: "estimate: $2.5M-$4M".
       If one typescript roll isn't enough for you, you can also bid on the: "Original and only typescript scroll of Jack Kerouac's The Dharma Bums (estimate: $300,000 - $500,000)".

       Lots of other pop culture stuff, too, -- esecially guitars -- including the: "Golden ticket from the 1971 movie Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory (estimate: $60,000 - $120,000)", as well as ...: "Secretariat's saddle from the famed horse's United States Triple Crown win in 1973 [...] (estimate: $1.5M - $2M)"

(Posted by: M.A.Orthofer)    - permanent link -

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       Ockham NZ Book Awards longlists

       They've announced the longlists for this year's Ockham New Zealand Book Awards, the leading New Zealand literary prizes.
       Forty-four titles were selected from 178 entries, in the four categories (fiction, poetry, illustrated non-fiction, and general non-fiction).
       The shortlists will be announced 4 March, and the winners on 13 May.

(Posted by: M.A.Orthofer)    - permanent link -

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       Florian Zeller profile

       At El País Rodrigo Naredo profiles: Florian Zeller, playwright, filmmaker and magnet for acting greats: ‘I don’t write what people like, but what they could like’.
       None of his dramas -- "There are two very clear influences in his work: David Lynch and Harold Pinter" -- are under review at the complete review, but several of his works of fiction are; see e.g. The Fascination of Evil.

(Posted by: M.A.Orthofer)    - permanent link -

       Richard Stursberg Q & A

       At Canadian Affairs Sam Forster has a Q & A with the former CBC executive, who: 'talks book reviews, DEI, and the disappearance of Canadians' shared understanding of ourselves', in Lament for Canadian literature: In conversation with author Richard Stursberg.
       See also the publicity page for Stursberg's book, Lament for a Literature.
       And in response to the question: What's the best Canadian book you've read lately ? he says: "The best fiction book is Fifteen Dogs by André Alexis".

(Posted by: M.A.Orthofer)    - permanent link -

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       Sherborne Prize shortlist

       They've announced the shortlist for the new Sherborne Prize for Travel Writing, a new, £10,000 prize.
       They'll announce the winner on 12 April.

(Posted by: M.A.Orthofer)    - permanent link -

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       Ice review

       The most recent addition to the complete review is my review of Jacek Dukaj's colossal slab of a novel -- 1183 pages --, Ice, now also out in the US (though it's gotten very little coverage here so far).

       This is the third work titled Ice under review at the site -- see also Anna Kavan's and Vladimir Sorokin's. Two books with the same title doesn't surprise me that much, but three .....

(Posted by: M.A.Orthofer)    - permanent link -

       Libris Literatuur Prijs longlist

       They've announced the longlist for this year's Libris Literatuur Prijs, a leading Dutch novel prize that pays out €50,000 to the winner, -- eighteen titles, selected from 188 submitted titles.
       Among the authors with longlisted titles, the best-known in the US/UK are presumably Peter Buwalda and Peter Terrin.
       The shortlist will be announced on 9 March, and the winner on 11 May.

(Posted by: M.A.Orthofer)    - permanent link -

       Kolkata Literary Meet reports

       The Kolkata Literary Meet runs through today, and there have been numerous reports about the panels and readings -- see, for example, Debraj Mitra on Amitav Ghosh on writing the living Earth; author discusses return to fiction, climate crisis & more and Agnivo Niyogi on Almost by accident’: Arunava Sinha recounts how his career in translation began with ‘Chowringhee’.
       (See also my review of Chowringhee.)

(Posted by: M.A.Orthofer)    - permanent link -

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       Mark Tully (1935-2026)

       As, for example, Andrew Whitehead reports at the BBC, Sir Mark Tully, the BBC's 'voice of India', dies aged 90; see also obituaries at The Guardian and Dawn.
       He also wrote numerous books on India.

(Posted by: M.A.Orthofer)    - permanent link -

       A River Runs Through It - the opera

       Opera Montana has announced the world premiere of the opera A River Runs Through It, based on the novel Norman Maclean and with music by Zach Redler and a libretto by Matt Foss and Kelley Rourke; the premiere will be 18 September, in Bozeman.
       This is Opera Montana's first commissioned opera; sounds like a good fit.

(Posted by: M.A.Orthofer)    - permanent link -

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       Philippines regional literatures

       In the Manila Standard Honor Blanco Cabie makes the case for the Importance of translating PH regional literatures.
       The focus on translation into English (rather than any other language(s)) is understandable --:

By translating vernacular texts into English, these distinctive expressions of culture can move beyond regional, and often colonial, boundaries to become part of the global intellectual and artistic landscape.

       But still .....

(Posted by: M.A.Orthofer)    - permanent link -

       Ali Smith's 'books of my life'

       This week's 'The books of my life'-column features Ali Smith: ‘Henry James had me running down the garden path shouting out loud’.
       Among her responses:

The author I reread

A lot of Simone de Beauvoir’s writing came into affordable paperback translation when I was in my very early 20s. Back then I read everything I could get. Recently I’ve loved re-encountering her fiction. I think her novels are outstanding, especially Les Belles Images (1966), a coruscating postwar satire on the performance of happiness.

(Posted by: M.A.Orthofer)    - permanent link -

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       Prix Robert de Sorbon finalists

       The prix littéraire Robert de Sorbon is a new €10,000 book prize. They apparently see it as something of a counterpart to all the late-season French book prizes -- most, from the Goncourt on down, are announced in November or so --, 'opening the literary season and year', and also as a European prize, as both books written in and translated into French are eligible. Nevertheless, the first list of five finalists, which they have just announced, is rather French-heavy .....
       Bizarrely, they haven't announced the finalists at the official site/page; French literary prizes continue to do a horrible job with their online presence. But, hey, they have announced the finalists at, for example, their ... Instagram page.
       The winner will be announced 29 January.

(Posted by: M.A.Orthofer)    - permanent link -

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       Q & A: Jeanette Winterson

       At Electric Literature they have twenty-three questions with the author, in Jeanette Winterson Thinks Writer's Block Is a Con Job.

(Posted by: M.A.Orthofer)    - permanent link -

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       Q & A: Bogdan-Alexandru Stănescu

       At Agerprss they have a Q & A with the Romanian author and publisher, Bogdan-Alexandru Stanescu: Few authors today are willing to take the risk of being less likeable.
       Among his comments, re. what Romanian literature currently lacks:

We have no grants, no residencies, no concern whatsoever from a state preoccupied with its own corruption. The only grants and residencies come from the private sector, just as education in recent decades has been left on the shoulders of publishing houses, while successive governments have been busy changing ministers of Culture and Education year after year and carrying out reforms for the sake of reform. The Romanian writer seems to be, plainly put, nobody's responsibility.

(Posted by: M.A.Orthofer)    - permanent link -

       Dylan Thomas Prize longlist

       They've announced the longlist for this year's Swansea University Dylan Thomas Prize, awarded: "for the best published literary work in the English language, written by an author aged 39 or under" -- twelve titles: seven novels, three poetry collections, and two short story collections.
       The shortlist will be announced on 19 March, and the winner on 14 May.

(Posted by: M.A.Orthofer)    - permanent link -

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       The Dutch book market, 2025

       KVB Boekwerk has published the basic figures covering the book market in the Netherlands in 2025.
       Only 44 million books were sold in 2025, in all formats, down two million from 2024. Total revenue was down slightly, to 697 million euros (2024: 699 million).
       Impressively -- but also somewhat worryingly -- books writtten in foreign languages (mainly English) accounted for 22 per cent of sales; sales of foreign-language books are up 27 per cent since 2021.

(Posted by: M.A.Orthofer)    - permanent link -

       Gordon Burn Prize shortlist

       They've announced the shortlist for this year's Gordon Burn Prize, recognizing: "literature that is forward-thinking and fearless in its ambition and execution, often playing with style, pushing boundaries, crossing genres or challenging readers' expectations"; see, for example, the Cultured. North East report.
       The winner will be announced 5 March.

(Posted by: M.A.Orthofer)    - permanent link -

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       'Chinese Literature'

       China Daily has announced a 'Special Section on the China Daily website', Chinese Literature, which: "will showcase contributions from Chinese and international writers, critics, renowned scholars, and representatives of literary organizations from various countries, presenting the long-standing tradition and latest achievements of Chinese literature in vivid and multidimensional ways."
       We'll see. But maybe of interest.

(Posted by: M.A.Orthofer)    - permanent link -

       NBCC Awards finalists

       The National Book Critics Circle has announced the finalists for its annual awards.
       Books in three of the categories are under review at the complete review:

• Criticism:
  • Exophony, by Tawada Yoko
  
  
• Fiction:
  • On the Calculation of Volume (Book III), by Solvej Balle
  
  
• Gregg Barrios Book in Translation Prize:
  • Exophony, by Tawada Yoko, translated by Lisa Hofmann-Kuroda
  • Near Distance, by Hanna Stoltenberg, translated by Wendy H. Gabrielsen
  • Sad Tiger, by Neige Sinno, translated by Natasha Lehrer

       The winners will be announced 26 March.

(Posted by: M.A.Orthofer)    - permanent link -

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       Edgar Award finalists

       The Mystery Writers of America has announced the finalists for this year's Edgar Allan Poe Awards.
       I haven't seen any of these.
       The winners will be announced 29 April.

(Posted by: M.A.Orthofer)    - permanent link -

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       Republic of Consciousness Prize (US/Canada) longlist

       They've announced that they've longlisted ten titles "from independent presses, celebrating the commitment of small presses to exceptional works of literary merit", for the Republic of Consciousness Prize, United States and Canada.
       The only longlisted title under review at the complete review is The Remembered Soldier, by Anjet Daanje and translated by David McKay, from New Vessel Press.
       The shortlist will be announced 24 February, and the winner on 10 March.

(Posted by: M.A.Orthofer)    - permanent link -

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       Georges Borchardt (1928-2026)

       Literary agent Georges Borchardt has passed away; see, for example, The New York Times' obituary (presumably paywalled).
       He had an impressive career -- "One of the first works he negotiated on his own was an enigmatic but tender and often darkly funny French play written by a lanky Irishman, Waiting for Godot." --, with his agency representing: "five Nobel laureates, eight Pulitzer Prize-winners and one statesman, the French president Charles de Gaulle".

(Posted by: M.A.Orthofer)    - permanent link -

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