Translated Fiction Reading Group

Meeting on the last Sunday of July will be our new Translated Fiction reading group. Reading fiction in translation offers a whole new way of learning about the histories, cultures and literary traditions of different places, all while enjoying well-told stories and engaging with perspectives you might not find in works of non-fiction. 

Each month, the group will read a book from a different country, translated into English, and our gatherings will be a chance for you to share your thoughts on the book and translated literature more generally in a relaxed and pressure-free setting.

The first book the group will be reading is The City and The House, written by acclaimed Italian author Natalia Ginzburg and translated by Dick Davis. Originally published in the 1980s, this epistolary book tells the story of a man who moves from Rome to the US and follows his changing relationships with the friends and family he leaves behind. 

Registering for the group costs £5 and once you've signed up, you can come into the shop to redeem your voucher against a copy of that month's novel. After that, all that's left is to get reading! 

Giuseppe is leaving his flat in the city of Rome, where he has lived for more than twenty years, to go and live with his brother in America. He must say goodbye to his cousin Roberta; to his former lover Lucrezia and her husband Piero; and to all his friends who used to gather for weekends at Le Margherite, Lucrezia’s splendid house in the country. But even before Giuseppe’s departure, friendships have begun to fracture as frustrated yearnings and past infidelities strain the bonds.

The sale of Le Margherite marks the end of an era and its old inhabitants and visitors are left to pursue happiness on their own. Their stories unfold through an exchange of letters that reveal with great poignancy the thoughts, passions and desires of the protagonists.