Books we've read this year, books we've published this year & Livres à venir
As the year no one wants to look back on draws to a close, book-lovers alike share their best reads of 2020, a more exceptional accolade than ever considering the extraordinary circumstances. We have put together a list of our favourite titles read this year, from books that have been recently published to classics we’ve been meaning to get round to.
Cécile
“These titles weave the symbolic and the hyper-real in mesmerising stories of alienation, resilience and the freeing power of art.”
Patience by Toby Litt
Minor Detail by Adania Shibli, translated by Elisabeth Jaquette
Intimations by Zadie Smith
First on the list to be read in 2021 is Yes, I Am A Destroyer by Mira Mattar
Jessie
“Desperate times call for desperate tomes!”
Second-hand Time by Svetlana Alexievich, translated by Bela Shayevich
The Idiot by Elif Batuman
The Heart is a Lonely Hunter by Carson McCullers
Clem
In the Dream House by Carmen Maria Machado Supper Club by Lara Williams
My Year of Rest and Relaxation by Ottessa Moshfegh
Jack
The Years by Annie Ernaux, translated by Alison L. Strayer
Beloved by Toni Morrison
Side by Side by Robert Wyatt and Alfie Benge
Elly
Leonard and Hungry Paul by Rónán Hession
I’ll Go On by Hwang Jungeun, translated by Emily Yae Won
Convenience Store Woman by Sayaka Murata, translated by Ginny Tapley Takemori
Talia
Natives by Akala
The Corfu Trilogy by Gerald Durrell
Breasts and Eggs by Mieko Kawakami, translated by Sam Bett and David Boyd
Lila
Hurricane Season by Fernanda Melchor, translated by Sophie Hughes
The Argonauts by Maggie Nelson
The House of Hunger by Dambudzo Marechera
Books we've published this year
The Living Days by Ananda Devi, translated by Jeffrey Zuckerman
The White Dress by Nathalie Léger, translated by Natasha Lehrer
Little Dancer Aged Fourteen by Camille Laurens, translated by Willard Wood
A Respectable Occupation by Julia Kerninon, translated by Ruth Diver
Nativity by Jean Frémon, translated by Cole Swensen with original drawings by Louise Bourgeois
This year we tried and tested a few formats for our first subscription scheme which is now available to purchase for our 2021 titles. We also launched a whole range (11 in total!) of book bundles, matching the titles we think compliment each other best.
Livres à venir
Poetics of Work by Noémi Lefebvre, translated by Sophie Lewis, due 9 February 2021. Read the Publisher’s Weekly review here.
Eve Out of Her Ruins by Ananda Devi, translated by Jeffrey Zuckerman young adult edition, due 30 April 2021.
The Fool and Other Moral Tales by Anne Serre, translated by Mark Hutchinson, due 1 June 2021.
No.91/92: A diary of a year on the bus by Lauren Elkin, due September 2021.
We may have a few tricks up our sleeves so make sure you follow us on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram for any announcements and updates!
For more reviews, book bundles and offers visit www.lesfugitives.com
With huge thanks to those who have tirelessly worked with us, and those who have bought and helped promote our books, here's to hope for a proper Happy New Year.
Les Fugitives gratefully acknowledges financial assistance from Institut Français, the Fondation Jan Michalski and Arts Council England's
Emergency Response Fund to support the arts during the covid-19 crisis.