By Megan Coote, Tessa Thejas Thomas and Juliette Tulloch
Women in Translation Month is an annual celebration that shines a spotlight on female writers from around the world who write in languages other than English. It is the perfect opportunity to discover diverse voices and gain fresh perspectives, so we’re taking a look at UK cover designs for must-read translated fiction.
DallerGut Dream Department Store by Miye Lee, translated from Korean by Sandy Joosun Lee
DallerGutt Dream Department Store is a bestselling Korean fantasy debut written by Miye Lee and translated from Korean by Sandy Joosun Lee. The novel tells the whimsical tale of a mysterious town hidden within our collective subconscious where dreams are commodities to be purchased from a store. Each floor offers a unique dream from nostalgic childhood memories to travel experiences. The story follows Penny, an enthusiastic new employee, as she unravels the inner workings of the dream store when one of their most coveted dreams is stolen.
The UK edition mirrors the fantastical narrative within: a surrealist riot of colour graces the cover, featuring both human and animal dream seekers, as the store caters to all dreamers. The pastel colour palette evokes childlike wonder and nostalgia. Soft pink clouds contrast beautifully with the midnight blue landscape and the candy theme, from the cotton candy and lollipops to the candy truck, transporting the reader to a funfair – a place straight out of a child’s imagination. The attention to detail, from potion bottles to a pillow sign leading to the department store, adds intrigue and the subtle moon and star symbols scattered across the cover reinforce the book’s dream theme.
Overstaying by Ariane Koch, translated from German by Damion Searls
Overstaying is a recent debut novel from Swiss playwright Ariane Koch and is a beautifully abstract tale of isolation and the intensity of newly formed relationships. The story follows a reclusive young woman living alone, as she takes in a lodger that she comes across in her small town. Their relationship takes a number of strange turns, as Koch leaves everything up to the reader's imagination with her abstract structure and character building.
In terms of the book's UK cover, the subtle details match well with the story itself. The central image is that of two wine glasses, one slightly emptier than the other, the two glasses obviously representing the two key characters in the novel. The pupils on each of the glasses highlight the themes of suspicion and observation used throughout the novel as each of the main characters work to figure the other out as the story progresses. Aside from the central image, there is little else on the book's cover and the black background highlights the isolation that is in itself almost like a character in the novel. Finally, the simple colour palette creates an attractive cover that could encourage a new reader to pick up this novel.
Tomb of Sand by Geetanjali Shree, translated from Hindi by Daisy Rockwell
Tomb of Sand, the International Booker Prize winner in 2022, follows an eighty-year-old woman in Northern India after the death of her husband. As she navigates this tragic event, she travels to Pakistan to face herself as the new woman she is despite the trauma and tragedy. Geetanjali Shree tackles complex topics of partition, religion and gender roles in a novel that portrays what it means to break boundaries as a woman.
Tomb of Sand was the first Indian language novel translated into English to win the International Booker Prize. Translator Daisy Rockwell is the winner of the 2023 Vani Foundation Distinguished Translator Award and the 2022 Warwick Prize for Women in Translation for Tomb of Sand itself.
The cover design is simple but visually striking. Only two colours are used: pink and black. The font is bold against the light pink background and the central point to the cover design. Framing the text are four crows in various moments of flight. The crows symbolically represent the main character Ma’s movement across boundaries. The crows also appear within the novel to represent and comment on human interactions.
Mina’s Matchbox by Yoko Ogawa, translated by Stephen Snyder
Due to hit bookstores on the 15 August, Ogawa’s latest novel is set in 1970s Japan. Following her ground-breaking novel The Memory Police, shortlisted for the International Booker Prize, Mina’s Matchbox is awaited with high anticipation. The story follows twelve year old Tomoko as she navigates the death of her father, whilst being sent away to live with her uncle. For a year she must call his colonial mansion in the coastal town of Ashiya home.
The novel centres on themes of family, youth and the past as Tomoko learns more about her mysterious uncle and builds a sisterly bond with her cousin Miro. Most importantly, there’s a pygmy hippo they keep as a pet, which takes centre stage on the cover design. The slightly tattered and rough outline of the design adds a historic element to the novel, where her grandmother’s war time experiences and the history of the mansion will play a key role. Ogawa’s talent for depicting generational trauma and bringing life to the mundane world through magical realism will no doubt be mirrored in her latest writing.
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