Digital flyer for a literary translation reading at Browsers Bookshop in Olympia, Washington, at 4 p.m. on Saturday, February 14th.
This Saturday ❤️2/14❤️ at Browsers Bookshop in Olympia, Washington: a special "love"-themed reading from THE WITNESS OF NINA MVUNGI AND OTHER STORIES by Esther Karin Mngodo. Reading starts at 4 p.m. Karibuni :)
You can now pre-order BLT 2026 via @deepvellum.bsky.social
And much gratitude to the Best Literary Translation series co-editors: @wendycall.bsky.social, @kolatubosun.bsky.social, Noh Anothai and Öykü Tekten. Asanteni sana.
Cover of BEST LITERARY TRANSLATIONS 2026, guest-edited by U.S. Poet Laureate Arthur Sze.
An interior page of BEST LITERARY TRANSLATIONS 2026, featuring the opening sentence of "The Fish Market" by Esther Karin Mngodo, translated from the Swahili by Jay Boss Rubin, and originally published in THE COMMON. "The smell of fish at the ferry landing is so different from how they smell at home, stored away in the freezer, you tell your driver Ibrahimu as the two of you walk toward the fish market."
Honored to be included in BEST LITERARY TRANSLATIONS 2026, guest-edited by U.S. Poet Laureate Arthur Sze, to be published by @deepvellum.bsky.social on 4/14. Thanks to @koimolove.bsky.social for writing the beautiful story; thanks to @commonmag.bsky.social for publishing it and nominating it to BLT.
“Brother Morpheme had succeeded in keeping his emotions out of his work for the 150,982 assignments he’d handled prior to Ms. Mvungi.”
Up now: “The Witness of Nina Mvungi” by @koimolove.bsky.social, translated by @jaybossrubin.bsky.social. Art by Valerie Hammond. evergreenreview.com/read/the-wit...
Just published on the Asymptote Blog: a beautifully crafted and incredibly insightful review of THE WITNESS OF NINA MVUNGI AND OTHER STORIES by @koimolove.bsky.social. Review by Rebecca Suzuki—hybrid forms specialist + fellow translator www.asymptotejournal.com/blog/2025/12...
Honored to be featured along with @koimolove.bsky.social on Jill! (a Women+ in Translation reading series organized by @larissakyzer.bsky.social). If anyone can tell me on which product the slogan on my shirt used to appear, I'll send them a free copy of our new book! www.youtube.com/watch?v=uYAF...
Ahsanteni mno 🙏🏽🥳🎉
Very grateful 🥳🎉
🤍🥳🎉
Ahsante pia.
Out today from @hangingloosepress.bsky.social: THE WITNESS OF NINA MVUNGI AND OTHER STORIES by @koimolove.bsky.social, translated from the Swahili by yours truly. The first collection of Swahili Afro-Speculative fiction to come alive in English. Scoop it up! itascabooks.com/products/the... #booksky
Flyer for Literary Translation Reading and book launch at Mother Foucault's Bookshop (715 SE Grand Ave) in Portland, Oregon, at 7 p.m. on Friday, December 5th.
Literary Translation Reading + book launch for THE WITNESS OF NINA MVUNGI by @koimolove.bsky.social one week from today, at Mother Foucault's Bookshop in Portland, Oregon—karibuni wote!! #booksky #translation #Swahili #fasihi
Newly translated #Swahili fiction from award-winning Tanzanian author Esther Karin Mngodo @koimolove.bsky.social, in the spotlight at @wwborders.bsky.social. From the story collection THE WITNESS OF NINA MVUNGI, coming 12/1 from @hangingloosepress.bsky.social wordswithoutborders.org/read/article...
In the mail: pleased to see another translation from Swahili, by @jaybossrubin.bsky.social — Esther Karin Mngodo's 𝑇ℎ𝑒 𝑊𝑖𝑡𝑛𝑒𝑠𝑠 𝑜𝑓 𝑁𝑖𝑛𝑎 𝑀𝑣𝑢𝑛𝑔𝑖 𝑎𝑛𝑑 𝑂𝑡ℎ𝑒𝑟 𝑆𝑡𝑜𝑟𝑖𝑒𝑠, from @hangingloosepress.bsky.social www.hangingloosepress.com/book/witness...
Check out her "vampire" story at Asymptote: www.asymptotejournal.com/blog/2024/02...
Swahili #SFinTranslation
Ni mwaka wa vitabu 🥳🎉
Karibuni.
Happy to finally hold my copy!
"Without Sun" translated from Swahili to English by Jay Boss Rubin @jaybossrubin.bsky.social is now out! Get your copy! @hopkinsreview.bsky.social 🥳
Ahsante Jay
Always a delight working with you, my friend. 🥳🎉
And subscribe to The Hopkins Review for @jaybossrubin.bsky.social’s translation of @koimolove.bsky.social’s speculative fiction, forthcoming later this summer in THR 18.3!
hopkinsreview.com/shop
Happy pub day to @jaybossrubin.bsky.social, whose translation of Euphrase Kezilahabi’s ROSE MISTIKA is out today from @yalepress.bsky.social!
Read a chapter of this “controversial Swahili classic” in The Hopkins Review 16.2 on @projectmuse.bsky.social @hopkinspress.bsky.social, then get the book!
Congratulations Jay 🎉🥳
New review: Euphrase Kezilahabi's 1971 novel 𝑅𝑜𝑠𝑎 𝑀𝑖𝑠𝑡𝑖𝑘𝑎, now coming out in English translation (in The Margellos World Republic of Letters-series) www.complete-review.com/reviews/swah...
"Aiskrimu"—a short story by Esther Karin Mngodo, translated from the Swahili by me, published today in @kalaharireview.bsky.social
+ ARC of Euphrase Kezilahabi's 𝑅𝑜𝑠𝑎 𝑀𝑖𝑠𝑡𝑖𝑘𝑎 ( @yalepress.bsky.social 6/2025; tr. @jaybossrubin.bsky.social ) yalebooks.yale.edu/book/9780300... Translations from African languages still all too rare, but w/ this + @ugapress.bsky.social series ugapress.wordpress.com/2025/03/27/u... things looking up.
Enormous congratulations to @makafanentlamelle.bsky.social for this brilliant translation from Sesotho / dramatic English-language retelling, in which THE BLIND MAN says to THE LAME MAN, proposing that they work together, "you can be my eyes and I your feet." www.asymptotejournal.com/drama/azarie...
"Much more remarkable than conventional success, Gurnah suggests, are kindness, humility and the ability to endure."
@jaybossrubin.bsky.social shares his thoughts on THEFT, the new novel from Nobel Prize Winner Abdulrazak Gurnah, in the latest edition of "What We're Reading".
A portrait of the writer Esther Karin Mngodo, with a quote from her podcast interview: 'I keep wanting to write the stories I do not see'
On the @fictionable.bsky.social #podcast we explore connections and disconnections with Esther Karin Mngodo and the translator @jaybossrubin.bsky.social
www.fictionable.world/podcasts/han...
#ApplePodcasts #Spotify #Acast #books #reading #writing #ShortStories #fiction #comics #translation
A light shines on an empty chair, with a quote from Esther Karin Mngodo's short story First Date, translated by Jay Boss Rubin: 'If I want an interrogation, I can go to the police…'
Maggie is looking for a partner in Esther Karin Mngodo's story First Date, translated by Jay Boss Rubin. But will her love life ignite?
Swipe right at www.fictionable.world/stories/firs...
Image: Paul Kehrer
#books #reading #writing #ShortStories #fiction #comics #translation #podcast
A match burns against a dark background, with a quote from Esther Karin Mngodo's short story First Date, translated by Jay Boss Rubin: 'Ndiyo… like a matchstick…'
Maggie is looking for a partner in Esther Karin Mngodo's story First Date, translated by Jay Boss Rubin. But will her love life ignite?
Swipe right at www.fictionable.world/stories/firs...
Image: Yaoqi
#books #reading #writing #ShortStories #fiction #comics #translation #podcast
