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PEN World Voices: 2010

April 2010

The PEN World Voices Festival launches its sixth annual celebration of global literature at the end of this month, and we’re kicking off the party with a sampler of new writing from a selection of the participants. From an orphan’s rage to a widower’s serenity, in bleak housing projects and luminous seaside resorts, writers explore topics local and universal. See how Alina Bronsky, Assaf Gavron, Valter Hugo Mãe, Quim Monzó, Sofi Oksanen, Atiq Rahimi, Andrzej Stasiuk, and Jean-Philippe Toussaint create their own worlds in strikingly varied voices.

Words without Borders gratefully acknowledges Amazon.com for its grant in support of the publication of the April 2010 PEN World Voices issue.

Mr. Beneset

Mr. Beneset’s son arrives at the geriatric home and greets the girl at reception

Translated from Catalan by Lisa M. Dillman

Honesty

The nurse walks into Room 93 pushing a cart carrying a tray with a glass of water, a jar of capsules, a thermometer, and a file folder rest.

Translated from Catalan by Mary Ann Newman

Prague

By Jean-Philippe Toussaint

Let’s not talk about Prague.

Translated from French by John Lambert

Imaginary Return

It was night. The ninth night. The most silent, the most oppressive.

Translated from French by Edward Gauvin

From “Broken Glass Park”

By Alina Bronsky

I hate men. Anna says good men do exist. Nice, friendly men who cook and help clean up and who earn money.

Translated from German by Tim Mohr

From “Purge”

By Sofi Oksanen

She was just going to make a tour of a country that she’d never seen before

Translated from Finnish by Lola Rogers

From “Almost Dead”

By Assaf Gavron

I climbed aboard the Little No. 5 as I did every morning on my way to work.

Translated from Hebrew by Assaf Gavron & James Lever

From “Dukla”

By Andrzej Stasiuk

July hung over the village like a sheet of blue metal.

Translated from Polish by Bill Johnston

From “the workers’ apocalypse”

By Valter Hugo Mãe

at night maria da graça dreamed that souvenirs of life on earth were on sale outside the gates of heaven.

Translated from Portuguese by Kenneth Krabbenhoft