Robert Burdock on the Independent Foreign Fiction Prize shortlist

In celebration of this year's Independent Foreign Fiction Prize, we thought it'd be nice to hear from the best bloggers and twitterers of literature in translation (aside from our own blog/twitter, of course).

This week, Robert Burdock from the great Rob Around Books takes us through the Independent Foreign Fiction Prize blog shortlist and his forethoughts before embarking on a reading journey, which will see him finish reading all the books in time for the prize announcement in May.

So we've arrived at one of the most exciting times of the year - the unveiling of the Independent Foreign Fiction Prize shortlist - and I'm absolutely thrilled to have been asked to say a little something about this year's selection. Before I do though I just want to get a little something off my chest.

You see, as excited as I am each year when it comes around to the Independent Foreign Fiction Prize, I know that I'm in something of a minority. And while the column inches in newspapers and the display windows of the bookshop chains are eagerly given over to other literary awards, the Independent Foreign Fiction Prize, because of the trend in this country for readers to largely avoid translated fiction, is treated as more of an afterthought than anything else. I'm not saying that everyone ignores it, but the prize seems to create more of a mild ripple than a splash, and it's so frustrating to see this happen ever year (not least because this is the only literary prize on the planet which pays equal tribute to the unsung heroes of translated fiction - the translator).

Fans will already know that there are some absolute gems of contemporary translated foreign literature out there, and many will also know that the judges of the Independent Foreign Fiction Prize have a special knack for uncovering these jewels of literary goodness (the 2010 winner for instance, Brodeck's Report by Philippe Claudel, is a novel which still lives on in my heart), and this year is no exception. Take a look at the 2011 longlist and it's clear that a vast width and breadth of translated fiction has been spotlighted by the judges, and somehow they've managed to retain that wide-ranging coverage as they whittled the longlist of fifteen down to the final six (a difficult task because the longlist for this year was particularly strong). And it is this shortlist of six which perhaps illustrates best why the Independent Foreign Fiction Prize should get the recognition and exposure it deserves. I challenge anyone to find a more vibrant collection of titles on any the more popular award lists. This year's IFFP shortlist contains an enthralling selection of books, which cover themes and topics that are both diverse and wholly appealing, and now would be a good time to briefly run through them. 

Even those who are unfamiliar with translated fiction in general will probably have heard of the two big 'literary hitters' to have made the final six this year - Orhan Pamuk and Per Petterson. Thanks to acclaimed novels such as My Name is Red and Snow, Turkish Nobel Laureate Orhan Pamuk is something of a household name. He's no stranger to the Independent Foreign Fiction Prize either having won it in 1990 with his novel, The White Castle. And this year Pamuk is pinning his hopes on The Museum of Innocence (translated by Maureen Freely), his first novel since gaining Nobel recognition. Billed as 'a stirring exploration of the nature of romantic attachment', it is perhaps the opportunity of being able to embroil oneself in the culturally-rich backdrop of 70s Istanbul that is most appealing about this epic romantic novel.

Norwegian Per Petterson also returns to the Independent Foreign Fiction Prize this year having won it in 2006, with the brilliant novel that established him, Out Stealing Horses. This time he makes the shortlist with his latest, I Curse the River of Time (translated by Charlotte Barslund with Per Petterson), a novel which tells of the complicated relationship between a mother and son at a time of great personal upset. Anyone who has read Petterson before will know that he is renowned for the depth of his prose and the powerfulness of his writing, so I expect this one to leave something of a lasting impression not just on me, but on anyone else who reads it.

Moving on and Visitation by German writer Jenny Erpenbeck (translated by Susan Bernofsky) is a title which is already gaining much positive recognition. Having already earned a place on this year's Three Percent's Best Translated Book Awards shortlist (the overall winner of that prize is announced on April 29th), the novel now makes its way on to the IFFP shortlist, achieving better success for Erpenbeck than in 2008, when her novel The Book of Words only made the longlist. Visitation is intriguing. Not only does it explore the darkest side of Germany's twentieth-century history, it does so using an unusual element of the supernatural. Michel Faber declares this one to be 'an extraordinarily strong book', a comment which gives the novel much credence.     

Venezuelan writer Alberto Barrera Tyszka joins the shortlist with his debut novel, The Sickness (translated by Margaret Jull Costa). A debut it might be but already  Tyszka's novel - which offers an insightful and touching glimpse into the frailties of the human condition - has won him the coveted Herralde Prize in its native Spanish language. And this English translation is winning plaudits all over the place as more and more readers discover it. This is definitely one to watch.  

Buenos Airian writer Marcelo Figueras is renowned for his journalism. He's interviewed many famous faces (including Mick Jagger, Paul McCartney and Martin Scorsese), but he's also a prevalent writer of fiction too. His novel Kamchatka (translated by Frank Wynne) makes this year's shortlist, adding an insight into the military dictatorship in  Argentina, but from the perspective of a ten-year-old child. 

Last but certainly not least is visceral political thriller, Red April (translated by Edith Grossman), from Peruvian author Santiago Roncagliolo. This novel is set in the Ayacucho region in Peru - an area notorious for its bloody past - and it follows the hunt for an active serial killer. I have it on good authority that this one is both terrifying and bloody (a crucified Christ on the cover somewhat reinforces this notion), but it also comes with much substance and depth.   

And so ends my rather brief and unqualified rundown on this year's IFFP shortlist. It feels somewhat phoney 'wagging my tail' about books I've yet to read, but such is my faith in the Independent Foreign Fiction Prize and its judges, that I'm confident that reading through this shortlist is going to be as thrilling and as soul touching as it has been in previous years.

I begin my own journey right now reading through this year's shortlist (aiming to finish all six before the overall winner is announced on May 26th), and I invite you to join me. I urge you to pick up at least one of these six titles (no excuses because five of the six are no longer than novella-length) and to revel in the wonder that is translated fiction, and the Independent Foreign Fiction Prize. By doing so you will not only be giving yourself one of the finest reading experiences you're ever likely to have, but you'll also be showing some much needed support for one of the UK's finest and most deserving literary awards.

Good luck to all shortlisted author and translators.

Click here to visit Rob's website