Thursday, 2 July 2020

Pushkin Press

With ideas for your TBR piles:






Hit five countries for under a tenner in our armchair traveller deals!



adam RECOMMENDS:
armchair traveller


Journey to five new worlds in our ebooks for under £10, this week only

Hi Pushkin readers,
This week I'm thrilled to highlight a selection of books – two novels, two memoirs and a collection of essays – that take you around the world, even while you’re probably still stuck at home.

From eighteenth-century South Africa to Spitsbergen on the Arctic Circle and Cape Cod, Massachusetts in the 1930s, from a debut novel by a Liberian-American author to essays by the great Stefan Zweig these books will transport you emotionally as well as through time and space. They are also a microcosm of the very best of Pushkin’s publishing, offering exceptional translations from German and Afrikaans alongside English-language originals and classics alongside contemporary novels.

Enjoy!



THIS WEEK...

A Woman in the Polar Night by Christiane Ritter
(tr. Jane Degras)

Truly a rediscovered classic, this 1934 memoir from Christiane Ritter's time in the Arctic is an exploration of solitude, and the peace to be found in the vastness of nature.
'You couldn't do better than this... the details of life there, then are fascinating and she's a wonderful nature writer too. It's deeply cosy all round' Alexandra Heminsley

Red Dog
by Willem Anker
(tr. Michiel Heyns)

LONGLISTED FOR THE INTERNATIONAL BOOKER PRIZE 2020
Along the dusty tracks of the Cape Colony is where we find the legendary renegade Coenraad de Buys in this devilish piece of historical fiction. Epic and evocative, it will have you feeling the sun on your neck and the wild dogs nipping at your heels.

She Would Be King
by Wayétu Moore
Bold and engrossing, Wayétu Moore's debut is a magical realist masterpiece.

Gbessa is a young girl with fiery red hair, who is cast out of her Lai village and left for dead. But, mysteriously, she does not die, and soon finds she is not the only one with interesting powers...

'Epic, beautiful, and magical, this astonishing first novel boldly announces the arrival of a remarkable new storyteller' Edwidge Danticat

Journeys
by Stefan Zweig
(tr. Will Stone)
We know Zweig as one of the greatest writers of the twentieth-century, but he was also a major sufferer of wanderlust, unable to stay in one place for too long. This collection of his travel writing will transport you in time and space.

'Zweig's accumulated historical and cultural studies [are] almost too impressive to take in' Clive James

The Outermost House
by Henry Beston
introduction by Philip Hoare
Henry Beston only meant to spend a couple of weeks in a beach hut on Cape Cod, but the lulling waves and rustling dunes kept him there, in solitude, for over a year. This is nature writing at its most illustrative, rich and beautiful.

'Beston reminds us of the transformative power of nature, its ability to heal, renew and sustain… Haunting, brave, breathtakingly beautiful' Isabella Tree, author of Wilding





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The Pushkin shop is officially open again!



get an exclusive pushkin book bag with your order!


our shop is back up and running, so we're celebrating - with pushkin tote bags!

Many of you have asked us when it would be possible to buy from us directly, and we are so grateful for you loyalty and support. So it is with great pleasure that after a bizarre few months, we can announce that our online shop is back up and running!

To say thank you and welcome back, we'll be offering an exclusive Pushkin tote bag to the first 10 orders through our online shop - just use the code 'WELCOMEBACK' at checkout.



what you might have missed through lockdown...


the other's gold
by elizabeth ames
A fierce story of female friendship and the bonds that carry us. Margaret, Lainey, Alice and Ji Sun are the only people who truly know one another - at their best, and at their most destructive.

For fans of Expectation by Anna Hope and The Secret History by Donna Tartt.

THE MYSTERY OF HENRI PICK
by David FOenkinos
(tr. sam taylor)


first in our literary library with walter presents
Wholeheartedly uplifting and wonderfully bookish, this literary mystery centres around the humble authorship of a masterpiece found on the dusty shelves of a Crozon library.

school for nobodies
by susie bower
coming july 2nd


a magical debut about the beauty of not fitting in
Until she was 10, Flynn didn’t even know her real name. Her adoptive parents have always kept her past a secret, but one mysterious note transforms her world and sets her on a path to discover who she really is....





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Uplifting reads for just £1.99 in ebook this week!



india RECOMMENDS:
uplifting reads


Get 5 of our most joyful ebooks for under £10, this week only

Hi Pushkin readers,
Laughter and friendship soothe the soul better than anything else. There are people and places we are missing deeply, and elements of life temporarily lost to us on which we used to depend. Today I’m recommending titles from the Pushkin shelves which I hope will offer some respite, no matter what you’re missing. The throwing of extravagant dinner parties; a road trip with a chaotic friend; the joy of learning something new; taking time to work on yourself, or to see the world through the eyes of children. 
While the people we love the most remain at a two metre distance, why not snuggle up nice and close to these magical stories, themed for your ultimate comfort and delight.


THIS WEEK...

Dinner with Edward
A Story of an Unexpected Friendship by Isabel Vincent

Full of food and friendship, this true story will warm your heart and your belly. You'll feel right at home settling down for one of Edward's gourmet dinners, where he and Isabel reached across the 40 year age gap, and became such dear friends. 

'Dinner with Edward made me smile, laugh out loud and, also, cry. In this cynical world it is life enhancing' David Suchet

'I defy you not to be charmed... Delightful' Good Housekeeping

Butterflies in November
by Au∂ur Ava Ólafsdóttir
(tr. Brian FitzGibbon)
Charming and darkly comic, this story is from one of Iceland's most shining literary stars. A lottery ticket changes the life of a despondent girl and an odd boy, making them the richest pair in Iceland and sending them on a raucous road trip.
‘Gorgeously quirky’ Stylist
‘Evocative and humorous’ Observer
‘Beguiling’ Guardian

Mazel Tov
The Story of My Extraordinary Friendship with an Orthodox Jewish Family
by J.S. Margot
(tr. Jane Hedley-Prôle)
Despite living on her doorstep, J.S. Margot knew nothing about the Jewish community in her neighbourhood. Funny and candid, this memoir of a young girl's experiences tutoring an Orthodox Jewish family will make you laugh, then learn. 

'Margot's is an exceptional voice... [you] will find enlightenment here' Deborah Feldman, author of Unorthodox, now a Netflix Original series

'A book that touched me deeply. Wow!' Queen Mathilde of Belgium

Wake Up, Sir!
by Jonathan Ames
So far beyond pastiche, even Wodehouse cannot rival it, Wake Up, Sir! is a fantastically bizarre and completely hilarious reimagining of one of the world's greatest comic partnerships. Isn't that right, Jeeves?

'Too funny for the canon of high literature, the book is too brilliant to be mere diversionary humour'
New York Press

Soft in the Head
by Marine Sabine-Roger
(tr. Frank Wynne)
Germain is a good-for-nothing type, constantly told he's not worth anything by his peers, his mother, himself. So when he encounters 85-year-old Margueritte on a park bench, he couldn't possible know how much joy they would end up bringing one another.

‘Unique. The sort of book that makes you want to hug the author to thank them for the happiness they have given you’ Focus Vif





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Japanese crime just £1.99 in ebook this week!


Pushkin Press

DANIEL RECOMMENDS:
JAPANESE CRIME


Get 5 thrilling Japanese Crime ebooks for under £10, this week only

Hi Pushkin readers,

Japan has a rich tradition of crime writing to rival that of any country in the world. Initially taking inspiration from the Golden Age of British and American crime in the 1920s and 30s, Japanese writers have preserved the love of puzzle and plot that defined those early classics but used it to build a culture that is refreshingly different from our own. If you’re already familiar with Japanese crime, then you’ll know that it is immensely enjoyable – full of dark family secrets, shocking deeds and brilliant sleuths.

If not, then what a treat you’re in for – a whole world of murder and mystery awaits! Why not start with one of the titles below? Or find them all here.



THIS WEEK...

The Tokyo Zodiac Murders by Soji Shimada
(tr. Ross & Shika Mackenzie)

 
This is an absolute classic of the locked-room murder genre, and one of the most popular books on our list – a gory mystery full of clues to ponder and red herrings to avoid, culminating in a challenge to the reader to solve the crime themselves. The tangled puzzle has an inspired, unforgettable solution that is both ingenious and elegant in its simplicity. 
 
‘If you like your crime stories to be bloody and bizarre, then this one may be for you… The solution is one of the most original I’ve ever read’
Anthony Horowitz
 
‘Intricate, compelling, violent, and exciting… A budding Sherlock’s dream’ Crime Scene

Murder in the Crooked House by Soji Shimada
(tr. Louise Heal Kawai)

Another masterful locked-room murder mystery starring the inimitable Kiyoshi Mitarai, set in a disorienting house of illusion filled with sinister automata, eerie masks and even a life-size golem doll. Again, Shimada throws the gauntlet down to the reader, challenging them to solve the puzzle using the clues scattered throughout the story.

‘A tour de force... Breathes new life into the locked room mystery’
Sunday Times, Crime Fiction Book of the Year

The Inugami Curse
by Seishi Yokomizo
(tr. Yumiko Yamazaki)

A disputed will, a feuding family, a series of macabre murders – this is the most famous mystery from Japan’s greatest ever crime writer. It’s richly atmospheric, intricately plotted and deliciously creepy – the perfect read for fans of classic crime.

‘Golden Age crime at its best, complete with red herrings, blind alleys and twists and turns galore’ Spectator

‘With a reputation in Japan to rival Agatha Christie's, the master of ingenious plotting is finally on the case for anglophone readers’ Guardian

The Master Key
by Masako Togawa
(tr. Simon Grove)

Masako Togawa didn’t just give us breathlessly twisty plots or brilliantly conceived mysteries, she also filled her books with expertly drawn characters, sketched with a keen eye for psychological detail. The Master Key sees all these elements working in glorious harmony to produce a flawless classic mystery, set in a women’s boarding house where a murderer is on the loose…

‘Extraordinarily atmospheric… An eerie gem’ The Times

‘Superbly crafted and riveting from start to finish’ Kirkus Reviews

The Lady Killer
by Masako Togawa
(tr. Simon Grove)

As well as a prizewinning crime writer, Masako Togawa was a cabaret singer, nightclub owner and gay icon. With The Lady Killer, she takes us on an alternative tour of 1960s Tokyo in an irresistibly dark and seedy thriller about a womanizer moving through the city’s nightspots, and the killer following in his footsteps.

‘Full of subtly menacing tensions and sharp psychological insights… A must for the discerning reader’ Kirkus Reviews





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Step into the magical realms of Tonke Dragt



pushkin discovers...
tonke dragt


meet the international bestselling author of beloved classic the letter for the king

Have you been enjoying The Letter for the King on Netflix? Did you know it was based on an international bestselling book?

Here at Pushkin, we've been bringing the celebrated children's stories of Tonke Dragt into English for many years with the help of phenomenal translator, Laura Watkinson. Full of gallant knights, treacherous quests and dark magic, Dragt's tales are always an action-packed thrill ride through kingdoms far away. 

Your mission is at hand...


THE LETTER FOR THE KING 

The fate of the enitre kingdom rests on just one person... Sixteen-year-old Tiuri is following in his father's footsteps - to become a knight of the realm. But when Tiuri meets a dying stranger in the woods, he is tasked with a mission that will change the course of history.

He must trust no one.
He must keep his true identity secret.
Above all, he must never reveal what is in the letter.

Available now in hardback, paperback, ebook and audio.
 


THE SECRETS OF THE WILD WOOD 

In the Arthurian-inspired sequel to The Letter for the King...

One of the King's most trusted knights has vanished in the snow, so young Sir Tiuri and his best friend Piak must journey into the shadowy heart of the forest to find him.

Available now in hardback, paperback, ebook and audio.
 


THE SONG OF SEVEN 

Held prisoner in the woods, a young boy holds the key to a powerful secret.

When Frans, a schoolteacher from the nearby village, receives a mysterious letter, a journey begins. Frans must learn the secret of the Seven Ways. He will make seven allies, and one fearsome enemy.

Available now in hardback, paperback and ebook.
 


THE GOLDSMITH AND THE
MASTER THIEF 

Twins Jiacomo and Laurenzo could not be more different. One is studious, moral and kind; the other a trickster and a thief.

But when faced with the Knight of the Red Rose, or in pursuit of the precious silver cups of Talamura, the boys must learn to work together, and realise the strengths in their differences.

Available now in hardback and ebook, and to preorder in paperback.


still want more?


jack barton reads the letter for the king
Sit down for storytime with Jack Barton, where he reads the first few pages of The Letter for the King by Tonke Dragt.

Jack plays Foldo in the Netflix adaptation of The Letter for the King, which is available to stream now.

about the author


TONKE DRAGT
Tonke Dragt was born in Jakarta in 1930 and spent most of her childhood in Indonesia. Her family moved to the Netherlands after the war and, after studying at the Royal Academy of Art in The Hague, Dragt became an art teacher. She published her first book in 1961, followed a year later by The Letter for the King, which won the Children's Book of the Year award and has been translated into sixteen languages. Dragt was awarded the State Prize for Youth Literature in 1976 and was knighted in 2001.

about the translator


laura watkinson
Laura Watkinson studied medieval and modern languages at Oxford, and taught English around the world before returning to the UK to take a Master’s in English and Applied Linguistics, and a postgraduate certificate in literary translation. She is now a full-time translator from Dutch, Italian and German.





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Discover your next best read for under £1


Pushkin Press

from an indonesian epic to a charming french mystery


OUR 99P DEALS THIS WEEK

This week we're dropping the price of these fantastic books to just 99p - one a day, every day, for a week.

In this week's daily deals, we'll be journeying through Indonesian myth and history, the Odessan criminal underbelly and vicious digital worlds. We'll be posting about what's up for grabs every day on our social media, so be sure to follow us on Twitter and Facebook


THIS WEEK...

Monday: The Secrets of the Wild Wood by Tonke Dragt
(tr. Laura Watkinson)
If you enjoyed The Letter for the King, don't miss out on The Secrets of the Wild Wood, the sequel that is just as full of adventure, courage and friendship. Tiuri returns to journey deep into the shadowy heart of the Wild Wood, where good and evil wear the same face...

Tuesday: Sympathy
by Olivia Sudjic
Felt a little too glued to your screens in lockdown? Check out Olivia Sudjic's electrifying debut novel of blood ties, online identities, and our tormented efforts to connect in the digital age.
Discover Margaret Millar, a forgotten genius of crime writing. Virginia Barkeley is a well brought-up girl. So what is she doing wandering through a midnight snow storm, blind drunk and covered in someone else’s blood?

Thursday: Summer Before the Dark
by Volker Weidermann
(tr. Carol Brown Janeway)
Imagine yourself in 1936, in the small seaside town of Ostend, Belgium. Here congregate disaffected artists including Stefan Zweig and Joseph Roth, as they stare into an abyss of oncoming fascism and war.

Friday: The Mystery of Henri Pick by David Foenkinos
(tr. Sam Taylor)
Brand new and fabulously French, this compelling mystery is the first in our Walter Presents library. A literary mystery settles over the town of Crozon when a young editor discovers a masterpiece in a library of rejected manuscripts.

Saturday: Odessa Stories
by Isaac Babel
(tr. Boris Dralyuk)
Set in the uniquely Jewish town of Odessa, this story collection brings together some of Isaac Babel's most masterful works. Translated with precision by Boris Dralyuk.

Sunday: Beauty is a Wound
by Eka Kurniawan
(tr. Annie Tucker)
With vision and scope to rival the likes of Gabriel Garcia Marquez, this Indonesian epic spans Dutch colonialism and Japanese occupation to revolution, independence and dictatorship. A bawdy masterpiece.





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Discover your next best read for under £1


Pushkin Press

from heart-in-throat thrillers to magical teen mysteries


OUR 99P DEALS THIS WEEK

This week in lockdown, we'll be dropping the price of these fantastic books to just 99p - one a day, every day, for a week.

Here's what's coming up this week in our Daily Deals. From abandoned houses to Japanese supermarkets to shapeshifting woods, we'll be posting about what's up for grabs every day on our social media, so be sure to follow us on Twitter and Facebook


THIS WEEK...

Monday: Ms Ice Sandwich
by Mieko Kawakami
(tr. Louise Heal Kawai)
With her new novel, Breasts and Eggs, releasing in August, discover Mieko Kawakami's fantastically tender and amusing novella, Ms Ice Sandwich.
Brutal and redemptive, this hardboiled noir was adapted into a 2018 film starring Joaquin Phoenix to huge critical acclaim - now on Netflix.

Wednesday: The Rabbit Back Literature Society
by Pasi Ilmari Jääskeläinen 
(tr. Lola Rogers) 
For fans of The Secret History and Twin Peaks, this conspiratorial novel follows the disturbing discoveries of a children's author who is invited to join an elite literary society.
Eerie and totally escapist, this creepy novel from the author of Neverhome will pull you deep into the woods, where you can never be sure what is real, and what is smoke and mirrors.

Friday: The Disappearances
by Emily Bain Murphy
This beautiful novel of magic, loss and truth was shortlisted for the Waterstones Children's Book Prize, and has adoring fans in Kiran Millwood Hargrave and Stephanie Garber

Saturday: An Untouched House
by Willem Frederik Hermans
(tr. David Colmer)
Listed as a Sunday Times Book of the Year, this vivid wartime classic follows a partisan fighting the Red Army as he takes shelter in an abandoned house. Woken by a Nazi patrol, his only chance of survival is to pose as the owner - and abandon his beliefs.
Elegant and vivd, Iris Origo's diaries from 1943-44 trace life as war came to her peaceful farming valley, where she and her husband worked to aid refugee children. 





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One of the twentieth century's most popular authors, revived


Pushkin Press

pushkin discovers...
stefan zweig


'Short, feverish and intense, Stefan Zweig’s pyschologically profound novellas are perfect for these hard-to-concentrate times. You'll be hooked'
Evening Standard

If you've followed Pushkin for a little while, you'll know we are huge advocates of Stefan Zweig, the Austrian novelist, playwright, biographer and journalist. You may even have found Pushkin through a shared love for his work - perhaps you devoured Beware of Pity, or were enchanted by The World of Yesterday.

However, Zweig's works are more extensive and expansive than many realise. From travel memoirs to biographies, short stories to landmark novellas, there is still so much to discover when it comes to this man of wanderlust.

For those authors you've always meant to read, those horizons you've always meant to broaden, try Zweig, whose transcendent writings feel as relevant today as they did in the 20s, 30s and 40s.


Not sure just yet? Here's a full story from Zweig's
The Invisible Collection to whet your appetite...


Two stations after dresden an elderly gentleman got into our compartment, passed the time of day civilly and then, looking up, expressly nodded to me as if I were an old acquaintance. At first I couldn’t remember him; however, as soon as he mentioned his name, with a slight smile, I recollected him at once as one of the most highly regarded art dealers in Berlin. In peacetime I had often viewed and bought old books and autograph manuscripts from him. We talked of nothing much for a while, but suddenly and abruptly he said: “I must tell you where I’ve just come from — this is the story of about the strangest thing that I’ve ever encountered, old art dealer that I am, in the thirty-seven years I’ve been practising my profession.” And the story as he told it follows...


the invisible collection:
tales of obsession and desire
(tr. anthea bell)


'zweig belongs with those masters of the novella - maupassant, turgenev, chekhov' Paul bailey
Now you've got a taste for the compelling and crushing nature of Zweig's short stories, discover the rest of this collection, full of the peaks and troughs of human emotion, inescapable weights of history, and immense power of the written word.

Relish in these stories

SHOOTING STARS:
ten historical miniatures
(tr. anthea bell)

ten vividly sketched turning points in history
From General Grouchy’s failure to intervene at Waterloo, to the miraculous resurrection of George Frideric Handel, Stefan Zweig’s selection of historical turning points is idiosyncratic, fascinating and as always hugely readable.

‘Zweig’s impassioned pursuit of personal freedom seems more relevant than ever’ Newsweek

Dive into Zweig's histories

journeys
(tr. will stone)


When I am on a journey, all ties suddenly fall away...
An ardent traveller, Stefan Zweig spent much of his life on the road. Or rather, the rails - where much of his writing took place. Journeys comprises a lifetime of observation and paints a rich and melancholic picture of Europe before the Second World War.

Embark on your journey

zweig shorts
(tr. anthea bell)

'one of the masters of the short story'
guardian
As well as his biographies and travel writings, it was Zweig's shorter works, always brimming with emotion and dilemma, that brought him recognition on the international stage.

Pushkin's novella collection includes:
Amok, Twenty-Four Hours in the Life of a Woman, Confusion and Burning Secret.





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