New Translation Imprint

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Gaudy Boy, Singapore Unbound's publishing arm, is launching a new translation imprint, to be called Gaudy Boy Translates. We applaud the work of translators and translation imprints in bringing us news from the world republic of letters, but we are also aware of gaps in the publication of translations. All too often such publications focus on the bigger countries and the more well-known authors. Gaudy Boy Translates aims to fill some of this gap by publishing translations from minoritized countries, languages, and social, economic, and political communities. We are especially eager to promote translations that interrogate national identities and boundaries.

The inaugural title of our new imprint, Ulirát: Best Contemporary Stories in Translation from the Philippines, fits the bill admirably. This groundbreaking anthology challenges mainstream conception of Filipino literature, shaped mostly by Anglophone writers living inside and outside of the country. Ulirát, which means consciousness in Tagalog, challenges the hegemony of the English language by presenting a wonderful omnibus of whacky, innovative, moving, sharp, canny, and tender stories written originally in seven different languages of the Philippines. There is not an anthology of Filipino short fiction like this one.

In the fighting words of the anthology editors:

"Ulirát: Best Contemporary Stories in Translation from the Philippines intends, at the very least, to change the way anthologies of Philippine writing are produced and presented to the rest of the world. This book seeks to offer up stories that embody the depth and range of contemporary Philippine fiction. To do this and still be able to claim representation of Philippine literature, we figure that it is imperative to represent, by way of translation, as many languages as possible from the over 150 languages in the Philippines. Previous efforts, though laudable, focus only on Anglophone literature, leaving out vigorous writing in local languages." Read the rest of the editors' Introduction.

Ulirát will be released in March 2021. If you'd like to see an Advance Reading Copy or interview the editors, please email Jee at jkoh@singaporeunbound.org. We're also happy to provide desk copies if you wish to adopt the text for classroom teaching.

To pitch us your translation project, please complete the book proposal form that can be found on this page and email it to the same address above.

This Saturday, short fiction authors Inez Tan and Aruni Kashyap read for our monthly Second Saturdays Reading Series. You can read about the authors below. RSVP Jee at jkoh@singaporeunbound.org for the Zoom link. Sign up for the open mic.

Jee Leong Koh
November 12, 2020

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