Archipelago Books, a not-for-profit press devoted to publishing English-language translations of classic and contemporary literature from around the world, will launch a children’s imprint in spring 2017. Since opening its doors in 2003, the independent, Brooklyn-based house has released more than 100 adult books, translated from more than 30 languages. “We feel this is a very natural extension of our larger mission,” said Kendall Storey, Archipelago’s associate editor and publicist, of the company’s expansion into the children’s arena. “In America, the same problem exists in both children’s and adult publishing: literature in translation is under-represented. We believe that artistic exchange between cultures is a crucial aspect of global understanding, and our goal is to introduce young readers to voices and art from around the world.”
Archipelago founder and publisher Jill Schoolman also views expansion into the children’s market as a logical next step, adding another component to her initial vision for the company. “I was hoping that we would eventually create something of an archipelago,” she said, “where novels and poetry from different languages, countries, and cultures – like islands of an archipelago – could at once be distinct and connected to something larger and harmonious.”
The yet-to-be named children’s imprint from Archipelago (whose books are distributed by Penguin Random House) will focus solely on picture books for the foreseeable future. The three debut titles reflect the scope and cultural diversity of the list, which Storey anticipates will feature at least three new titles annually. Due in March 2017 is My Valley by Claude Ponti, translated from the French by Alyson Waters. The author-illustrator, who was awarded France’s Prix Sorcières Spécial in 2006 for lifetime achievement, sets his story in an enchanted world inhabited by monkey-like creatures and sad giants.
Scheduled for April 2017 release is Roger Mello’s You Can’t Be Too Careful!, translated from the Portuguese by Daniel Hahn. The story, which introduces a colorful cast of characters whose fates are connected in different ways, explores the importance of kindness and the dangers of greed. This marks the first time that a work by this Brazilian author, who won the Hans Christian Andersen Award in 2006, has been translated into English.
In the final launch title, Questions Asked by Jostein Gaarder, a boy on a journey asks questions about loss, language, magic, and what it means to be a human being. Due in May 2017, the book is illustrated by Akin Düzakin and translated from the Norwegian by Don Bartlett. Gaarder is the author of the 1991 adult novel, Sophie’s World, which was translated into 60 languages and has some 40 million copies in print worldwide.
“We are excited to build a list that shows faith in children as enthusiastic, curious, and sensitive readers,” Schoolman explained. “Some of the most successful characters and titles in the genre have been works in translation, and we believe in the power and relevance of international books to appeal to American children. We are eager to find out if young book lovers will respond to the humor and landscapes and imagined worlds from different corners of the world – and if our picture books will travel well. Kids are honest. We are counting on them to guide us!”
