World of literature reading list
World of Literature: The Reading List
This is a list of authors I’ve read as part of my World Literature project to read books by authors from 50 different countries, including those linked by the Equator and the Prime Meridian. Links are added when I’ve posted the review.
Target 50 countries
Current progress: 37 countries visited. You can find a map of my destinations on my reading travels here
- Australia: The Snow Kimono by Mark Henshaw. Read August 2014
- Afghanistan: And the Mountains Echoed by Khaled Hosseini Read May 2013
- Algeria:
Memory in the Flesh by Ahlam Mosteghanemi Read August 2013
The Swallows of Kabul by Yasmina Khadra Read February 2017
- Belgium: Fear and Trembling by Amelie Nothomb. Read June 2016
- Brazil: Dom Casmurro by Joachim Maria Machado de Assis
- Burkina Faso: The Parachute Drop by Norbert Zongo Read July 2014
- Canada: Dear Life by Alice Munro. Read Jan 2014
- Chile: The Infinite Plan by Isabelle Allende. Read June 2014
- China:
Kinder than Solitude by Yiyun Li. Read March 2018
The Chilli Bean Past Clan by Yan Ge Read June 2018
- Colombia: The Armies by Evelio Rosero Diago
- Cuba: The German Girl by Armando Lucas Correa
- Czechoslovakia: Miss Silver’s Past by Josef Škvorecký
- Democratic Republic of The Congo: Full Circle by Frederick Yamusangie
- Denmark: The Murder of Halland by Pia Juul Read Dec 2016
- Finland White Hunger by Aki Ollikainen Read May 2015
- France:
The Gourmet by Muriel Barbary Read May 2013
L’Assommoir by Emile Zola Read April 2014
Nagasaki by Eric Faye. Read Sept 2014
Old Goriot by Balzac Read September 2015.
- Germany: The Search for Christa T by Christa Wolf. Read Sept 2015
- Ghana:
Wife of the Gods by Kwei Quartery. Read September 2013
Homegoing by Yaa Gyasi Read December 2017
- Guadeloupe: The Tree of Life by Maryse Conde Read July 2016
- Holland/the Netherlands: The Evenings by Gerard Reve Read 2017
- Hungary: Satantango. Read February 2014
- India: The Glass Palace by Amitav Ghosh Read March 2014
- Ireland:
The Spinning Heart by Donal Ryan Read July 2014
History of the Rain by Niall Williams Read Sept 2014 - Israel:
A Man Lies Dreaming by Lavie Tidhar Read 2015
Waking Lions by Ayelet Gundar-goshen Read 2017
- Italy:
The Leopard by Giuseppe Tomasi di Lampedusa (part read Dec 2013)
Inspector Montelbano – series by Andrea Camilleri. Read September 2014 - Japan:
After the Banquet by Yukio Mishima Read Dec 2013
The Housekeeper and the Professor by Yoko Ogawa Read July 2016
Goodbye Tsugumi by Banana Yoshimoto
A Tale for the Time Being by Ruth Ozeki - Kenya: Petals of Blood by Ngũgĩ wa Thiong’o
- Korea:
Please Look After Mom by Shin Kyong-sook
The Vegetarian by Hang Kang
- New Zealand:
The Bone People by Keri Hulme. Read April 2014
The Luminaries by Eleanor Catton Read July 2014 - Nigeria: Americanah by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie, Read May 2014
- Norway: The Blue Room by Hanne Ørstavik Read Dec 2016
- Pakistan:
The Reluctant Fundamentalist by Mohsin Hamid Read Jan 2014
The Holy Woman by Qaisra Shahraz Read Aug 2014 - Republic of the Congo: Broken Glass by Alain Mabanckou
- Somalia: From a Crooked Rib by Nurradin Farah Read April 2014
- South Africa:
Cry the Beloved Country by Alan Paton Read April 201
The Whale Caller by Zakes Mda Read June 2018
- Wales:
The Alone to the Alone by Gwyn Thomas. Read February 2014
The Redemption of Galen Pike by Carys Davies - Zimbabwe: We Need New Names by NoViolet Bulawayo Read April 2015
How are your reading travels going?
If you also are trying to broaden your reading this year, do share your experience. Perhaps you found some other gems for the countries I’ve mentioned. If you need inspiration take a look at the recommendations of bloggers who have written guest posts about the literature from their country – you’ll find them all on the View from Here page. |
This is a great idea. I may take some inspiration from this down the line and read some of the ones you recommend.
LikeLike
I’ll be delighted to have some company Jamie. and if you happen to come across anything from Sao Tome, do let me know because I’ve come to a dead end
LikeLike
I see from your comment on my blog, and your list here, that you are perhaps in want of a Portuguese author. Jose Saramago’s book Blindness, and Skylight, are both books I enjoyed immensely.
You have many countries from which I’ve not read. Thanks for the title suggestions here!
LikeLike
Thanks for sharing your list. This will help on my travel around the world through books. I wish I could visit some of these in person but books will have to suffice for now.
LikeLike
the good thing about this kind of travel is that you don’t have to endure security checks and passport control and queues….
LikeLike
I just read and reviewed Giuseppe Tomasi di Lampedusa’s short stories, ‘The Professor and the Siren’, which was really good! I have bookmarked this post, definitely going to come back for some inspiration!
Juli @ Universe in Words
LikeLike
I’m halfway through the Leopard. I like parts of it
LikeLike
Thanks for this review. I just read my first Alice Munro story last week and am interested in reading more from her this year.
LikeLike
Pingback: The Swallows of Kabul by Yasmina Khadra [review] | BookerTalk
Pingback: Surely I’ve read more?? | BookerTalk
Pingback: Armchair BEA: Beyond Borders | BookerTalk