![\"\"](\"https:\/\/readingagency.org.uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/centre-for-ageing-better-IUFueyLiB2s-unsplash-1024x689.webp\")
<\/p>\nNoa Rabits is completing her MA in Publishing at Kingston University and working with The Reading Agency as their Marketing and Communications Intern. In this blog Noa shares some reflections on the positive impacts of reading translated and original language books.\u00a0<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
When was the last time your book club left the UK? Not physically, but through stories.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n
In today\u2019s increasingly connected world, it\u2019s easier than ever to read stories from beyond our own borders, and yet, most UK readers still overwhelmingly read books written in English and set in familiar cultural contexts. According to the Booker Prize\u2019s Generation TF report<\/a>, only 2-3% of books published in the UK each year are translated works.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n Reading books by international authors, particularly in translation<\/a>, not only broadens our horizons but also fosters empathy, sparks curiosity and strengthens our understanding of the world. When you read a translated book, you\u2019re not only reading the author\u2019s voice but the layered collaboration between author and translator, a bilingual act of storytelling if you may.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n If translators hadn\u2019t undertaken that labour, I would have been someone who\u2019d never had the opportunity to read Hemingway or Conan Doyle. It\u2019s terrible to even contemplate.\u00a0<\/p>\n \u2013 Cheon Myeong-kwan\u00a0<\/p>\n If your book club is ready to branch out, reading books by international authors is one of the most meaningful and enjoyable way to widen your literary horizons.\u00a0<\/p>\n Why Read Around the World?\u00a0<\/p>\n As readers, it\u2019s easy to fall into the familiar. Stepping into stories from different languages and cultures<\/a> can:\u00a0<\/p>\n Help us challenge stereotypes and misconceptions\u00a0 As English Pen<\/a> explains \u201cLiterature knows no frontiers, and must remain a common currency among people.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n The value of reading books from lesser-known languages is even more profound. As highlighted by Clevobooks<\/a>, this isn\u2019t just about diverse stories, it\u2019s about preserving cultural identity. Languages are disappearing at an alarming rate: one is lost every two weeks. By reading and supporting literature in translation from underrepresented communities, readers help give voice to stories that might otherwise vanish.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n Reading Translated Fiction\u00a0<\/p>\n Despite its richness, translated fiction remains a niche market in the UK. According to The Booker Prize\u2019s Generation TF<\/a> article, many readers wrongly perceive translated book as \u2018difficult\u2019 or \u2018highbrow\u2019.\u00a0<\/p>\n In reality, as highlighted by the International Booker Prize, many translated books are vivid, gripping, funny and emotionally powerful.\u00a0<\/p>\n That\u2019s where book clubs play a crucial part. By reading even one translated book a year, your group can help make international voices more mainstream and break down the myth that world literature is only for academic or elite readers.\u00a0<\/p>\n Translated VS Original Language Reading\u00a0<\/p>\n If you are multilingual, you might choose to read books in their original language, others may prefer translated versions. Both translated and original versions offer different experiences with unique advantages and limitations.\u00a0<\/p>\n Reading in Translation\u00a0<\/p>\n Makes literature accessible to wider audiences\u00a0 Reading in Original Language<\/p>\n Preserves linguistic nuance, rhythm and idioms\u00a0 In Why You Should Read Books from Other Cultures and Languages<\/a>, the author reminds us that reading across languages expands our emotional and intellectual vocabulary, helping us better articulate thoughts and feelings in any language.\u00a0<\/p>\n In my case, as someone who speaks both Hungarian and English, I\u2019ve found that reading in both languages shapes my reading experience in different ways.\u00a0<\/p>\n I prefer reading in Hungarian, my mother tongue, because it helps me stay connected to the language. Living in the UK, I use English daily and over time, I\u2019ve noticed my Hungarian slipping. Reading in Hungarian helps preserve my vocabulary and cultural fluency and it\u2019s a beautiful literary language that feels rich and expressive.\u00a0<\/p>\n However, I also enjoy reading in English, especially when I want to engage directly with an author\u2019s original style or humour. Interestingly, when I read in Hungarian, most of the books are translations of global authors. It\u2019s rare that I read from Hungarian authors. On the flip side, when reading in English, I tend to stick to writers from the UK, US or other English-speaking countries. That contrast made me realise how reading habits and availability shape our literary worlds and how important it is to actively seek out translated voices, no matter what language you read in.\u00a0<\/p>\n Looking to get started? Here are a few award-winning picks from the International Booker Prize<\/a>.\u00a0<\/p>\n Heart Lamp<\/a> by Banu Mushtaq, translated by Deepa Bhasthi (2025 winner) is a collection of short stories, the 12 stories chronicle the lives of women in patriarchal communities in southern India.\u00a0 For more suggestions, try The International Booker Prize Library<\/a>\u00a0or The World Bookshelf<\/a>.<\/p>\n Ideas for Your Book Club\u00a0<\/p>\n World Book Club Map: use a world map to mark each country your club reads from\u00a0 Get involved in Women in Translation<\/a> month, use it to encourage your book club to read a translated book by a woman. Their website<\/a> has lots of reading lists for inspiration.\u00a0<\/p>\n Whether it\u2019s one translated novel or a whole year of international picks, reading globally brings your club closer to the rich, varied and beautifully interconnected world of stories.\u00a0<\/p>\n Explore our Book Club Hub<\/a> for more ideas for your reading group.<\/p>\n Sign up to our newsletters for more reading inspiration.<\/a><\/p>\n Home<\/a> News and Stories<\/a> Read Around the World: Why Your Book Club Should Explore Global Voices<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Noa Rabits is completing her MA in Publishing at Kingston University and working with The Reading Agency as…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":11196,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[30],"tags":[64,63,457,134],"class_list":{"0":"post-11195","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-books","8":"tag-au","9":"tag-australia","10":"tag-books","11":"tag-entertainment"},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/11195","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=11195"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/11195\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/11196"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=11195"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=11195"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=11195"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}
\nBuild empathy through first-person perspectives on global experiences\u00a0
\nOffer alternative ways of storytelling, identity, memory and language\u00a0
\nIntroduce us to different customs, histories, people and politics we may never otherwise encounter\u00a0<\/p>\n
\nShowcases the creative role of the translator\u00a0
\nBuilds cultural bridges between readers\u00a0
\nMay introduce subtle shifts in tone or meaning\u00a0<\/p>\n
\nOffers direct engagement with author\u2019s intent\u00a0
\nDeepens language skills and cultural fluency\u00a0
\nMay require extra time or effort to understand\u00a0<\/p>\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/readingagency.org.uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/IBP2025-Shortlist-Group-3-c-Yuki-Sugiura-for-Booker-Prize-Foundation-1024x683.webp\")
\nRecent International Booker Prize Winners to Try\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n
\nKairos<\/a> by Jenny Erpenbeck, translated by Michael Hofmann (2024 winner) is a heart-breaking story of two lovers, their love and control set in East Germany as the country crumbles.\u00a0
\nTime Shelter<\/a> by Georgy Gospodinov, translated by Angela Rodel (2023 winner) is a Bulgarian novel about a clinic where Alzheimer\u2019s patients relive past decades and happy moments, and what happens when whole societies start doing the same.\u00a0
\nTomb of Sand<\/a> by Geetanjali Shree, translated by Daisy Rockwell (2022 winner) is a playful, genre-bending Hindi novel about an 80-year-old woman who journeys across borders \u2013 literal and emotional \u2013 to (re)discover her identity and voice.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n
\nTranslation-themed meeting: discuss how the translation may have influenced the tone or meaning\u00a0
\nLiterary passport challenge: each member recommends a book from a different language\u00a0
\nGlobal Food Night: pair your book discussion with a dish from the book\u2019s cultural setting\u00a0<\/p>\n