France Translates English Works

An interesting article in Tuesday's International Herald Tribune began as follows:

In France, literary honors are going to foreigners

By Alan Riding

French authors can hardly be faulted for not being productive: over the past two months, they have published no fewer than 475 new novels. Yet despite all this creative energy, probably the most striking feature of this autumn's literary season is that of six coveted book prizes, four went to novels written in French by non-French authors.

The article goes on to explore why it is so few French authors are translated into English, and so many English authors are translated into French. A number of theories are advanced as to why this, one being that "the strong narrative content of much American and British fiction may well account for its popularity in France".

While "American and British novelists fare well here, the number of living French writers who have had a major international impact of late is exactly one: Michel Houellebecq, whose books include, under their English titles, "The Elementary Particles," "Platform" and "The Possibility of an Island." For Savigneau, (Editor's note: literary critic at Le Monde) there is an explanation. "It's good to have someone who tells stories," she said.

You can find the full article at http://www.iht.com/articles/2006/11/20/style/frenchlit.php

A blog team

As you can see from the way in which this blog is developing, some members of SOAF have proposed posts which I have immediately published. It is obviously a way forward: you have an idea or information that you would like to share with other authors, you publish it on our blog and -- with a bit of British luck -- you will generate comments from others who share enlightened views like your own.

It is possible to set up what is known as a ‘Team Blog’ -- and this is what I would like to do with our SOAF blog. Members of the team (basically an ‘editorial board’) would be able to create their own postings without going through ‘Comments’ or having to email me.

Question: Would you like to be on the team? Do you have any other thoughts on the editing of the SOAF blog?

Computer advice needed

Blogging may be new to you. It is also new to me. As a matter of fact, it is new to most people. No computer store, indeed nobody I know in the Paris region -- let alone my own sweet zone out here on the frontiers of Normandy and Isle de France -- is able to give me advice on the technical aspects of blogging. It does seem to me that we have a serious problem with ‘search engines’ such as with our host, Google, or with Orange. Why is it that when I type in http://soafrance.blogspot.com I am told no such site exists? Orange recommends me to try ‘souffrance’ in the place of ‘soafrance’. ‘La souffrance! Divin remède à nos impuretés,’ assured Monsieur Baudelaire. Nice joke, but we don’t want to be its victim.

Question: Can you, or do you know anybody, who can give me regular technical advice on the running of this blog?

Play Bac Presse

Another member has sent me the following posting:

Play Bac Presse are the most successful publisher of children's daily newspapers. What's more, they are a French company and are planning to create an e-newspaper in the USA. This might be a good time for SOAF members who write for children to get in touch with Play Bac Presse and see what opportunties exist for feature writing.
Does an opportunity exist for a SOAF member in France to create a childrens e-newspaper, modelled on the Play Bac Presse, for the large anglophone community in France?

For more information see below:

US: Children's Internet publication prepares for launch
Daily children's newspapers seem to be popping up across the globe, most recently in Bolivia and soon in Mexico, Panama, and Ecuador. Now, Play Bac Presse, the French publisher of the most successful children's dailies to date, plan to launch a new kids paper directed at 8-10-year-olds in the United States.

Play Bac is working with 5W Mignon-Media, based in New York City, to create My Daily 10 e-newspaper in November of this year. The paper focuses on the 8-10-year-old market because by that age children are interested in reading and are beginning to read well. Because advertising is often touchy in children's markets, My Daily 10 will be dependent on subscriptions and may open the paper up to sponsors in the future.

The decision to launch an online children's paper comes after Play Bac's failed attempt for an United States children's newspaper last year. For 5 months Play Bac worked with the Miami Herald to distribute three children's dailies for ages 7, 10, and 13. The papers received a positive reaction from kids, parents, and teachers. However, because only 20% of the households in the area chosen had kids in the correct demographic the papers ceased printing after only 5 months.

The new My Daily 10 hopes to not just write simple news stories, but articles appealing to kids. Also, because the average 10-year-old's attention span is about 10 minutes, that's how long it will take to read the newspaper. My Daily 10 is working on attracting an audience through Internet and e-mail adds and has also started a blog to educate parents and teachers.

This move to the internet reflects similar changes in Canada's free youth magazine Dose and the shocking move of the US' Elle Girl from print soley to the internet.

Source: Editor & Publisher

Literary Discussion on the Internet

A member of SOAF has forwarded the following post. Let me once more emphasise how keen we are to receive postings from members.


For UK authors in France living far from hubs of literary activity - cities full of busily lunching agents, publishers and authors; readings and literary parties - it's easy to feel isolated from English-language literary discussion. Even for those of us in Paris, we are not woven into the fabric of the London literary scene.
Happily the internet provides a host of free radio programmes about books and writing, also available as downloadable podcasts.
One SOAF member sent me the details of the four programmes she always checks-out to see what is on, three being specialist book shows, the fourth being a show that regularly features in-depth interviews of up to an hour with writers that rarely give interviews.
Her list, all available for free at the podcast directory within itunes, is as follows:
KCRW's Bookworm: Half-hour shows interviewing a different writer each week. The show from 09/11 is an interview with Zadie Smith. The presenter sounds like he is emerging from a very heavy night c. 1971 but he has an impeccable guest list and few writers turn down his invitations to appear.
NPR: Books: National Public Radio (the excellent BBC of the USA and funded by voluntary subscriptions) has a one hour show on books each Sunday. Normally made up of 5-6 segments, last Sunday's show featured a book about William James, Antonia Fraser's new bio on Louis XIV; a new quotation collection; a novel from Tillie Olsen; Allende Reimangines Life of Conquistador 'Ines' and Mandela's authorized biography
The Book Show: From ABC (Australia's BBC) an excellent 40 minute daily show (Monday-Friday - oh that the BBC would do that) on books and writing. Yesterday's show was about the short story now, and Ramona Koval's guests are often American, British and Commonwealth writers as well as Australian.
Open Source: also available at www.radioopensource.org these 50 minute week day shows, out of Boston, have to be about the most compelling radio on current affairs and ideas. Public intellectualism is alive and well in the USA and the presenter, Christopher Lydon often touches on books and writing. He recently had a terrific one hour interview with Philip Roth and a show on the Great American Novel (further to the recent NYT poll on this subject) and what it might look like in 2030.
Question: Which other podcasts or on-line radio shows about books and writing, in French or English from anywhere in the world, do you listen to, and can you post your recommendations as a comment to this thread?

Christmas Party, 8 December, Paris

Jim Pollard, Secretary of the Paris branch of the National Union of Journalists, has very kindly extended an invitation to all members of SOAF, on Friday evening, 8 December, at La Grande Bleu, near the Bastille.

Jim, who is also a member of SOAF, writes:

I would like formally on behalf of the NUJ Paris branch to invite the Society of Authors (France) to our Christmas Party. It would be great if you and some colleagues could come and take a table or two. I already know that we have at least half a dozen members in common so there should be some other familiar faces there too.

The event is very informal. About 50 of our 200 members usually attend. There's the usual drink and food plus a hastily improvised cabaret featuring some of the branch which should be entertaining. As I said, very informal. The menu is yet to be finalised but will be around 22-23 Euros including some wine payable on the night.

The event takes place at La Grande Bleu, Port de l'Arsenal, Boulevard de Bastille 75012 Paris on 8 December. Nearest metro: Bastille. We have a quick meeting at 6.30 - which you're also very welcome to attend if you wish - followed by the dinner itself at about 8.

This sounds like a lot of fun. And, of course, it will be a means of establishing further contacts. If you are interested in attending, please write to Jim Pollard directly at nujparis@wanadoo.fr

Several of you are also members of the NUJ, a noble association with which we obviously share many an aim. I am currently investigating, with Jim, specific areas of common interest that SOAF may have with the NUJ, Paris. If any of you have any thoughts or recommendations about this please comment below. The web site of the Paris NUJ is http://www.nujparis.org.uk . Keep an eye on our blog for developments.

Bulletin Board

I am setting up a Bulletin Board for odd items that could be of interest to you. It is, of course, open to your own contributions.

The most recent development is that membership of SOAF has almost doubled in the last two week.

But let’s not just sit there, satisfied. The participation of each one of you is absolutely vital for our success -- which is your success. One posting on this blog that I would like to see expand is Profiles. Tell us what you do, what you write, and what you would like to do; there will be some people out there who will be willing to help you. The more people who write up a profile, the more people will consult it -- and that can only do us all good. If we get enough profiles we could set up a special page devoted to them

Another area that I encourage you all to look into concerns Regional Meetings. Most of you do not live in the Paris Region. Several of you have written to me saying you feel a little ‘out on a limb’. With our Networking List and this blog there is no longer any reason for any of you to feel like that. But I do believe that more intitiatives at the regional level could be helpful.