Since 1960 at least 320 individual translations into English from the three Baltic countries have been published. In other words, a minimum of 320 books of poetry and prose, by individual writers and as anthologies, have been published in English translation from Estonian, Latvian and Lithuanian. This works out to an approximate average of 106 titles for each language. That may not sound like many – fewer than two titles per language per year over fifty-eight years – but it is probably more than many of us might suppose. 2018, with the Baltic countries Market Focus at this year’s London Book Fair, is projected to add at least twenty-five more titles.
Below is a selected, partial bibliography of these translations published since 2010, concentrating on some of the most recently published books and on what might still be in print or obtainable from bookshops. The past ten years have seen increasing momentum in what has been published in translation, reflecting both a greater interaction between the various cultural offices of each country and more willingness from English-language publishers to publish fiction and poetry from the Baltic countries. Nevertheless, as is clear below, this often remains in the hands of a few dedicated translators and publishers.
This list inevitably misses out some great writers and many interesting works published in translation before 2010. Also, due to lack of space, I have not included the original titles and other information (these are, however, included in a larger bibliography that is not yet available online). It’s also worth noting that journals such as the Vilnius Review and organisations such the Estonian Literature Centre also publish many translations.
By Stephen Watts
Stephen Watts is a poet, editor and translator. In 2017 he was Translator in Residence at Southbank’s Poetry International (and National Poetry Library). His recent books include Republic of Dogs/Republic of Birds, which is being made into a film. He is also a bibliographer of modern and contemporary poetry and prose in translation.
ESTONIAN POETRY
EHIN, Kristiina (b.1977)
THE SCENT OF YOUR SHADOW tr. Ilmar Lehtpere. Arc Publications (Todmorden, UK), 105pp, 2010.
1001 WINTERS tr. Ilmar Lehtpere, Bitter Oleander Press (Fayetteville, USA), 259pp, 2013.
ON THE EDGE OF A SWORD tr. Ilmar Lehtpere. Arc Publications (Todmorden, UK), 2018
KALDMAA, Kätlin (b.1970)
ONE IS NONE tr. Miriam MacIlfatrick-Ksenofontov. A Midsummer Night’s Press (NY, USA), 44pp, 2014.
KANGRO, Bernard (1910–1994)
SELECTED POETRY ed. Urmas Bereczki, tr. Laura Neill. Lepalind (Tallinn, Estonia), 226pp, 2016.
KAPLINSKI, Jaan (b.1941)
SELECTED POEMS tr. poet with Sam Hamill, Hildi Hawkins & Fiona Sampson. Bloodaxe Books (Tarset, UK), 255pp, 2011.
KAREVA, Doris (b.1958)
SHAPE OF TIME tr. with pref. Tiina Aleman, intro. Penelope Shuttle. Arc Publications (Todmorden, UK), 140pp, 2010.
DAYS OF GRACE tr. Miriam McIlfatrick-Ksenofontov. Bloodaxe TA Books (Tarset, UK) 128pp, 2018
LIIV, Juhan (1864-1913)
SNOW DRIFTS, I SING: Selected Poems ed. Juri Talvet, tr. ed. & H.L. Hix. Guernica Editions (Toronto, Can. & Lancaster, UK), 107pp, 2013.
PARK, Eeva (b.1950)
THE RULES OF BIRD HUNTING tr. Jayde Will. Parthian Books (UK), 70pp, 2018. LVET, Jüri (b.1945)
OF SNOW, OF SOUL: New Selected Poems tr. with intro. H.L. Hix. Guernica Editions (Toronto, Can. etc.), 80pp, 2010.
ANTHOLOGY
SIX ESTONIAN POETS ed. Doris Kareva, tr. Adam Cullen, Miriam McIlfatrick-Ksenofontov & others. Arc Publications (Todmorden, UK), 165pp, 2015. (Juhan Viiding, Kauksi Ülle, Hasso Krull, Triin Soomets, Elo Viiding, Jürgen Rooste)
ESTONIAN PROSE
AARELEID, Kai (b.1972)
BURNING CITIES tr. Adam Cullen. Peter Owen Publishers (London, UK & Chicago, USA), 2018.
EHIN, Kristiina (b.1977)
WALKER ON WATER tr. Ilmar Lehtpere. Unnamed Press (LA, USA), 88pp, 2014.
FRIEDENTHAL, Meelis (b.1973)
THE WILLOW KING tr. Matthew Hyde. Pushkin Press (London, UK), 2017.
HARGLA, Indrek (b.1970)
APOTHECARY MELCHIOR and The Mystery of St Olaf’s Church tr. Adam Cullen. Peter Owen Publishers (London, UK & Chicago, USA), 283pp, 2015 (+ 2nd title in series, 2017).
KIVIRÄHK, Andrus (b.1970)
THE MAN WHO SPOKE SNAKISH tr. Christopher Moseley. Black Cat/Grove Atlantic (NY, USA), 442pp, 2015.
KROSS, Jaan (1920–2007)
SAILING AGAINST THE WIND tr. with intro. Eric Dickens. Northwestern University Press (Evanston, USA), 347pp, 2012.
THE ROPEWALKER, Vol. I of ‘Between Three Plagues’, The Story of Balthasar Rusow tr. with intro. Merike Lepasaar Beecher. MacLehose Press (London, UK), 544p, 2016 (+ 2nd & 3rd parts of trilogy, 2017 & 2018).
MUTT, Mihkel (b.1953)
THE CAVEMEN CHRONICLE tr. Adam Cullen. Dalkey Archive Press (Victoria, USA, Dublin, Ire.), 401pp, 2015.
THE INNER IMMIGRANT tr. Adam Cullen. Dalkey Archive Press (Victoria, USA, Dublin, Ire.), 242pp, 2017.
ÕNNEPALU, Tõnu (b.1962)
RADIO tr. Adam Cullen. Dalkey Archive Press (Victoria, USA, Dublin, Ire.), 573pp, 2014.
RAUD, Rein (b.1961)
THE BROTHER tr. Adam Cullen. Open Letter Books (Rochester, USA), 118pp, 2016.
THE DEATH OF THE PERFECT SENTENCE tr. Matthew Hyde. Vagabond Voices (Glasgow, UK), 176pp, 2017.
THE RECONSTRUCTION tr. Adam Cullen. Dalkey Archive Press (Victoria, USA, Dublin, Ire.) 265pp, 2017.
SAAT, Mari (b.1947)
THE SAVIOUR OF LASNAMÄE tr. Susan Wilson. Vagabond Voices Publishing (Glasgow, UK), 135pp, 2015.
TAMMSAARE, Anton (1878–1940)
THE MISADVENTURES OF THE NEW SATAN tr. Olga Shartze (rev. Christopher Moseley). Norvik Press (London, UK), 255pp, 2009.
I LOVED A GERMAN tr. Chris Moseley. Vagabond Voices (Glasgow, UK), 260pp, 2018.
UNT, Mati (1944-2005)
BRECHT AT NIGHT tr. with intro. Eric Dickens. Dalkey Archive Press (Victoria, USA, Dublin, Ire.), 209pp, 2009 (+ 3 earlier Dalkey titles).
VINT, Toomas (b.1944)
AN UNENDING LANDSCAPE tr. Eric Dickens. Dalkey Archive Press (Victoria, USA, Dublin, Ire.), 347pp, 2012.
THE SWEEPSTAKES OF LOVE tr. Matthew Hyde. Dalkey Archive Press (Victoria, USA, Dublin, Ire.), 368pp, 2016.
ANTHOLOGY
THE DEDALUS BOOK OF ESTONIAN LITERATURE ed. Jan Kaus, tr. Eric Dickens. Dedalus (Sawtry, UK), 303pp, 2011 (16 authors).
LATVIAN POETRY
AIVARS, Eduards (b.1956)
PHENOMENA tr. Jayde Will. Parthian Books (UK), 70pp, 2018.
ČAKS, Aleksandrs (1901–1950)
TOUCHED BY ETERNITY tr. Ieva Lešinska. Jumava Publishing House (Riga, Lat.), 309pp, 2016.
GAILE, Inga (b.1976)
30 QUESTIONS PEOPLE DON’T ASK: Selected Poems tr. Ieva Lešinska. Pleiades Press (Missouri, USA), 2018.
GRUNTMANE, Madara (b.1981)
NARCOSES ed. & tr. Marta Ziemelis & Richard O’Brien. Parthian Books (UK), 70pp, 2018.
LANGA, Liana (b.1960)
DEADLY NIGHTSHADE: Selected Poems ed. Vija Kostoff, tr. Margita Gailitis. Guernica Editions (Toronto, USA & Lancaster, UK), 128pp, 2015.
OSTUPS, Artis (b.1988)
GESTURES tr. Jayde Will. Ugly Duckling Press (NY, USA), 2018.
RAUPS, Edvīns (b.1962)
THEN TOUCH ME HERE tr. Margita Gailitis. Guernica Editions (Toronto, USA & Lancaster, UK), 126pp, 2011.
SKUJENIEKS, Knuts (b.1936)
SEED IN SNOW tr. Bitite Vinklers. BOA Editions (Rochester, USA), 143pp, 2016.
VĒRDIŅŠ, Kārlis (b.1979)
COME TO ME tr. Ieva Lešinska. Arc Publications (Todmorden, UK), 106pp, 2015.
ZEĻĠIS, Krišjānis (b.1985)
BEASTS tr. Jayde Will. Parthian Books (UK), 70pp, 2018.
ZIEDONIS, Imants (1933–2013)
EACH DAY CATCHES FIRE tr. Bitite Vinklers. Red Dragonfly Press (Redwing, USA), 76pp, 2015.
ANTHOLOGIES
SIX LATVIAN POETS ed. & tr. with pref. Ieva Lešinska, intro. Juris Kronbergs. Arc Publications (Todmorden, UK), 171pp, 2011.
HIT PARADE: The Orbita Group ed. with intro. Kevin M.F. Platt, tr. ed. & others. Ugly Duckling Presse (NY, USA), 232pp, 2015. (With work by 4 Russian-language Latvian poets: Sergej Timofejev, Artur Punte, Semyon Khanin, Vladimir Svetlov).
LATVIAN PROSE
ĀBELE, Inga (b.1972)
HIGH TIDE tr. Kaija Straumanis. Open Letter Press (Rochester USA), 310pp, 2013.
ASPAZIJA (1865-1943)
ASPAZIJA’S PROSE tr. with intro. Astrida B. Stahnke. Jurmala Art & Culture Society (Jurmala, Lat.), 270pp, 2015.
BANKOVSKIS, Pauls (b.1973)
18 tr. Ieva Lešinska. Vagabond Voices (Glasgow, UK), 186pp, 2017.
REDS, RATS & ROCK ‘N’ ROLL tr. Richard Kalnins. Jantar Publishing (London, UK), 200pp, 2018.
BELS, Alberts (b.1938)
INSOMNIA tr. Jayde Will. Parthian Books (UK), 160pp, 2018.
EZERIŅŠ, Jānis (1891–1924)
THE TOWER and Other Stories tr. Ilze Gulena. Central European University/CEU Press (Budapest, Hun, London, UK, NY, USA), 177pp, 2011.
IKSTENA, Nora (b.1969)
LIFE STORIES tr. Margita Gailitis. Guernica Editions (Toronto, Can, & Lancaster, UK), 115pp, 2012.
SOVIET MILK tr. Margita Gailitis. Peirene Press (London, UK), 190pp, 2018.
SKUJIŅŠ, Zigmunds (b.1926)
FLESH-COLOURED DOMINOES tr. Kaija Straumanis, fore. Christopher Moseley. Arcadia Books (London, UK), 245pp, 2014.
TABŪNA, Daina (b.1985)
THE SECRET BOX tr. Mark Andrew Webber. The Emma Press (Birmingham, UK), 2017.
ULBERGA, Krīstine (b.1979)
THE GREEN CROW tr. Žanete Vēvere Pasqualini. Peter Owen Publishers (London, UK & Chicago, US), 2018.
ZĀLITE, Mārā (b.1952)
FIVE FINGERS tr. Margita Gailitis. Dalkey Archive Press (Victoria, USA & Dublin, Ire), 248pp, 2017.
ZEBRIS, Osvalds (b.1975)
UNDER THE SHADOW OF ROOSTER HILL tr. Jayde Will. Jantar Publishing (London, UK), 2018.
ANTHOLOGY
THE BOOK OF RIGA: A City in Short Fiction ed. Becca Parkinson. Comma Press (Manchester, UK), 160pp, 2018.
LITHUANIAN POETRY
ALIŠANKA, Eugenijus (b.1960)
FROM UNWRITTEN HISTORIES tr. with intro. H.L. Hix. Host Publications (Austin, USA), 173pp, 2011.
BUROKAS, Marius (b.1977)
NOW I UNDERSTAND tr. Rimas Uzgiris. Parthian Books (UK), 70pp, 2018.
BUTKUTĖ, Ilzė (b.1984)
CARAVAN LULLABIES tr. Rimas Uzgiris. A Midsummer Night’s Press (NY, USA), 75pp, 2016.
GRAJAUSKAS, Gintaras (b.1966)
THEN WHAT tr. Rimas Uzgiris. Bloodaxe Books (Tarset, UK), 96pp, 2018.
IVANAUSKAITĖ, Jurga (1961–2007)
108 MOONS: Selected Poems tr. Paul Perry & Ruta Suchodolskytė. TAF Publishing/The Workshop Press (Dublin, Ire), 60pp, 2010.
KATKUS, Laurynas (b.1972)
BOOTLEG COPY: Selected Poems tr. Kerry Shawn Keys. Virtual Artists Collective (Vilnius, Lit, & Chicago, USA), 89pp, 2011.
KAZILIŪNAITĖ, Aušra (b.1987)
THE MOON IS A PILL tr. Rimas Uzgiris. Parthian Books (UK), 70pp, 2018.
MARTINAITIS, Marcelijus (1936–2013)
THE BALLADS OF KUKUTIS tr. with intro. Laima Vince. Arc Publications (Todmorden, UK), 155pp, 2011.
PALIULYTĖ, Sonata (b. 1968)
STILL LIFE: Selected Poems tr. Kerry Shawn Keys & Irena Praitis. Calder Wood Press (Dunbar, UK), 43pp, 2011.
PLATELIS, Kornelijus (b.1951)
SOLITARY ARCHITECTURES: Selected Poems tr. Jonas Zdanys. Lamar University Press (Beaumont, USA), 115pp, 2014.
VAIČIŪNAITĖ, Judita (1937–2001)
CRYSTAL: Selected Poems tr. Rimas Uzgiris. Pica Pica Press (USA), 2018.
ANTHOLOGY
HOW THE EARTH CARRIES US: New Lithuanian Poets tr. with intro. Rimas Uzgiris (& others). Lithuanian Cultural Institute (Vilnius, Lit.), 223pp, 2015 (includes work by 26 poets born between 1970 & 1988).
LITHUANIAN PROSE
AŠKINYTĖ, Rasa (b.1973)
THE MAN WHO NEEDED NOTHING tr. Jura Avizienis. Sofoklis (Vilnius, Lit.), 220pp, 2016.
THE EASIEST tr. Jura Avizienis. Noir Press (Nottingham, UK), 2017.
BORUTA, Kazys (1905-1965)
WHITEHORN’S WINDMILL or The Unusual Events Once Upon a Time in The Land of Paudruvė tr. Elizabeth Novickas. Central European University Press (Budapest, Hun & NY, USA), 278pp, 2010.
ČERNIAUSKAITĖ, Laura Sintija (b.1972)
BREATHING INTO MARBLE tr. Marija Marcinkutė. Noir Press (Nottingham, UK), 183pp, 2017.
CVIRKA, Petras (1909–1947)
FRANK KRUK tr. Elizabeth Novickas. Pica Pica Press (USA), 232pp, 2016.
GAVELIS, Ričardas (1950–2002)
VILNIUS POKER tr. Elizabeth Novickas. Open Letter Books (Rochester, USA), 485pp, 2009 (2nd edition, Pica Pica Press 2017).
MEMOIRS OF A LIFE CUT SHORT tr. Jayde Will. Vagabond Books (Glasgow, UK), 190pp, 2018.
KANOVICH, Grigory (Grigorijus Kanovičius) (b.1929)
SHTETL LOVE SONG tr. Yisrael Elliot Cohen. Noir Press (Nottingham, UK), 520pp, 2017.
KUNČINAS, Jurgis (1947–2002)
TULA tr. Elizabeth Novickas. Pica Pica Press (US), 2016.
PARULSKIS, Sigitas (b.1965)
DARKNESS AND COMPANY tr. Karla Gruodis. Peter Owen Publishers (London, UK, Chicago, USA), 2018.
RADVILAVIČIŪTĖ, Giedra (b.1960)
THOSE WHOM I WOULD LIKE TO MEET AGAIN tr. Elizabeth Novickas. Dalkey Archive Press (Victoria, USA & Dublin, Ire), 129pp, 2013.
SABALIAUSKAITĖ, Kristina (b.1974)
VILNIUS/WILNO/VILNA: Three Short Stories tr. Romas Kinka. Baltos Lankos (Vilnius, Lit.), 166pp, 2015.
ŠERELYTĖ, Renata (b.1970)
THE MUSIC TEACHER, tr. Marija Marcinkutė. Noir Press (Nottingham, UK), 2018.
ŠKĖMA, Antanas (1910–1961)
WHITE SHROUD tr. Karla Gruodis. Vagabond Voices (Glasgow, UK), 150pp, 2018.
ANTHOLOGIES
NO MEN, NO CRY: Contemporary Lithuanian Women’s Prose. International Cultural Programme Centre (Vilnius, Lit.), 270pp, 2011.
THE DEDALUS BOOK OF LITHUANIAN PROSE ed. with intro. Almantas Samalavicius, tr. Jura Avizienis, Violeta Kelertas, Ada Valaitis, Jayde Will & others. Dedalus (Sawtry, UK), 2013.