Introduction

 "The most important value of translations its ability to connect the world through language" (Unknown)

I've always been a bookworm. My earliest memories often centre around books, with the most cherished being my weekly visits to the library with one or other of my maternal grandparents, struggling to keep up with my Grandma's punishing pace, taking a slow meander with my Grandad - both equally enjoyable. Our library was a beautiful, old fashioned place, all polished wooden floors and shelving - such a wonderful smell and one I still catch the aroma of from time to time even now more than 40 years later. I distinctly remember the thrill of taking my own books up to the counter, loving the sound of the card filing system and, best of all, the stamp firmly dating the front label. I remember too the joy I felt at being able to help Grandad choose his next book. He only ever took one at a time and that had to be the next letter of the alphabet that he had reached - the letter Q being a particular challenge which generally ended up being Ellery Queen - he was a very methodical man and even his jigsaw puzzles had to be done a row at a time. No easy border or main pieces first for him! For me these visits, and reading itself, provided an escape from an otherwise difficult life and even to this day I still find a book to be the perfect form of escape no matter what the genre.

I have decided to dedicate this blog to the world of translated fiction mainly because of that sense of escape a book can give. Thinking about writing this introduction made me realise just how young I was when I started to appreciate such work with the earliest I can remember reading was Heidi by Swiss author Johanna Spyri (originally published in German I think) then the Three Musketeers and so on and so on. What I thought was a passion of just a decade or so actually seems to have been with me since the beginning of my reading journey - I was maybe 6 or 7 when I read Heidi.  I loved these glimpses into other worlds, everything so totally unlike my own. The descriptions of scenery, local life, different outlooks, food - you name it, it was strange and exciting, a beautiful view of all the possibilities that did, do or even could exist on this amazing globe we call home.

The more I read the greater a connection I feel to the people and places that inhabit this world, most of which I will never see or experience first hand, but through these works of translation I feel that at least part of me has travelled to and been immersed in these places. Which is precisely why I want to share this passion with others. If I can inspire just one person to share this same joy then it will be worth it.

I've just noticed that as I write this I am sitting close to a display of Japanese fiction (some of my absolute favourites) cherry blossom stickers on the window behind surrounding their colourful covers. This feels like this was meant to be - can't believe I didn't notice them sooner! I hope that whoever reads this blog enjoys taking at least some of the journey with me into the fascinating destinations of these talented authors.