Sofi Oksanen: Purge

[Daniel del Real]

It's just a feeling I have. So many writers in Europe are looking towards the English-language markets and audiences now. In Finland one sometimes gets the sense that some authors will soon be actually writing their books in English...

If this happens it would be an enormous tragedy. Don't see it happening soon however.

[Liam]

If this happens it would be an enormous tragedy.

Dan, you say that as if Finnish is your life and soul. I think this is a reflection on the general health of the Anglo-American book publishing business. If natives don't buy your craft, you're forced to turn elsewhere, to stranger shores and pastures new. Sad as it is, this goes for writers as well, not just regular craftsmen. We all have to eat.

[Eric]

I think that there are pockets of hope in the American publishing scene, but that in the UK there are very few publishing houses that take on board translations (i.e. literature from scores of countries, written in languages other than English). The so-called culturally superior Brits are still adopting a position of hard-to-convince, and are shabbily aloof.

Substituting a Spanish- or Russian-language hegemony for an English-language one is no solution to the problem of spreading literature widely.

I do not believe that European writers are so mesmerised by fame and money that they are going to start writing in pidgin English instead of getting their works translated.

[Daniel del Real]

Not of Finnish but any language. If this happens in a country with a huge reading population imagine what is going to happen in a country like mine; recent studies have shown that in Mexico, only 29% of the population spent money last year in a book. Now from that 29%, not even half managed to actually read the book and finish it. What is going to happen when culture is not profitable anymore?

[Liam]

Yeah, but Finland only has, like, 8 people.

[Daniel del Real]

And from that 8, 6 read

[Eric]

The play of Purge is now running at the Arcola Theatre in London until 24th March 2012.

Here's an interview with the translator:

http://www.spoonfed.co.uk/spooners/n...on-purge-6471/