Smarty Pants Podcast

The Three Percent

Literature in translation—including the first fiction ever published in English from Madagascar and Tibet

By Stephanie Bastek | November 10, 2017
Detail from “Oh My Godness,” by Tsherin Sherpa, on the cover of Old Demons, New Deities
Detail from “Oh My Godness,” by Tsherin Sherpa, on the cover of Old Demons, New Deities

A measly three percent of books published in the United States are works in translation—so this week, we’re shining a spotlight on two books from dramatically different places. Naivo’s Beyond the Rice Fields is the first Malagasy novel ever translated into English; he and his translator, Allison Charette, talk with us about love stories and origin stories. And Tenzin Dickie, editor of Old Demons, New Deities—the first English anthology of Tibetan fiction—joins us on the show to talk about life in exile, the rain in Dharamsala, and the best momos in Queens (Little Tibet, in Jackson Heights, in case you’re wondering).



Go beyond the episode:


Tune in every two weeks to catch interviews with the liveliest voices from literature, the arts, sciences, history, and public affairs; reports on cutting-edge works in progress; long-form narratives; and compelling excerpts from new books. Hosted by Stephanie Bastek.

Subscribe: iTunes • Feedburner Stitcher • Google Play • Acast

Download the audio here (right click to “save link as …”)

Have suggestions for projects you’d like us to catch up on, or writers you want to hear from? Send us a note: podcast [at] theamericanscholar [dot] org. And rate us on iTunes!


Our theme music was composed by Nathan Prillaman.

Permission required for reprinting, reproducing, or other uses.

Comments powered by Disqus