How am I getting on with the books eligible for the International Dagger for 2011, I wondered to myself? Thanks to Karen of Euro Crime, there is a list of the titles at her blog, which she updates as new books are published. To qualify, books have to be translated, and published in the UK between May 2010 and June 2011. As of 2 August, there are 44 eligible titles, and Karen anticipates another 10 to 20 before the eligibility deadline is reached. The full list is at Euro Crime blog.
Books on the list that I have read so far (links go to my reviews):
The Wings of the Sphinx by Andrea Camilleri, translated by Stephen Sartarelli (Italy)
Needle in a Haystack by Ernesto Mallo, translated by Jethro Soutar (Argentina)
Bad Intentions by Karin Fossum , translated by Charlotte Barslund (Norway)
The Inspector and Silence by Hakan Nesser, translated by Laurie Thompson (Sweden)
Eligible books I have on my shelf to read:
Bunker by Andrea Maria Shenckel
River of Shadows by Valerio Varesi
1222 by Anne Holt
(I also have The Kingdom of Light by Giulio Leoni, left over from last year's list!)
Books I definitely plan to read (mostly not published yet):
Frozen Moment by Camilla Ceder
Silence by Jan Costin Wagner
Basic Shareholder by Petros Markaris
Ashes to Dust by Yrsa Sigurdardottir
Villain by Shuichi Yoshida
Three Seconds by Roslund-Hellstrom
Rendezvous by Esther Verhoef
Red Wolf by Liza Marklund
The Postcard Killers by Liza Marklund and A. N. Other (possibly)
The Leopard by Jo Nesbo
Operation Napoleon by Arnaldur Indridason
A Place of Blood by Johan Theorin
The Troubled Man by Henning Mankell
Death on a Galician Shore by Domingo Villar
The Hypnotist by Lars Kepler
The Gallow's Bird by Camilla Lackberg
Shadow Sister by Simone van der Vlugt
Bandit Love by Massimo Carlotto
Between Summer's Longing and Winter's End by Leif G W Persson
That leaves almost 20 on the list that so far that I may not read due to lack of time or interest, though that could change! I'd certainly like to read A Short Cut to Paradise by Teresa Solana but as I think it is a sequel to A Not So Perfect Crime, I need to read that first. There's one, I Kill by Giorgio Faletti, that I am definitely not going to read on the basis of looking at it in the bookshop the other week.
I have made a category for this blog called International Dagger, which I have applied retrospectively to the posts I wrote about the 2010 and 2009 titles, so they can all be read together by clicking on the link.
2011 International Dagger - list of eligible titles.
2010 International Dagger - list of eligible titles.
The CWA International Dagger page, currently featuring the 2010 winner, The Darkest Room by Johan Theorin, translated by Marlaine Delargy.
Petrona's post about the 2010 winner.
The 2010 shortlist, and my reviews of each title on it.
Maxine - You've made impressive progress! I'm also very intrigued by several of the books on your "plan to read" list. I always find that just when I think I'm getting caught up on things I intend to read... news of more great books comes out. Ah, well, one read at a time...
Posted by: Margot Kinberg | 21 August 2010 at 15:37
Funny, isn't it Margot?! I just read two books which I thought were eligible but found out subsequently that they aren't - never mind, it was an interesting experience!
Posted by: Maxine | 21 August 2010 at 18:17
Several great names! I have already read four on your list (Scandinavian, of course). I may try to get one or two of them from the library, but for the rest I think I´ll stick to my habit and wait until I see which books you and other blog friends tempt me to buy :D
Posted by: Dorte H | 21 August 2010 at 20:18
This is impressive. I'm still working on the prior Dagger long list and recommendations from it and some on the short list. The reviews are great. I really know if I want to read a book or not, thus saving me aggravation with the library and money with the Book Depository and Amazon.
Posted by: [email protected] | 22 August 2010 at 02:50
Thanks, Dorte and Kathy. Kathy, I'm glad you find the reviews helpful.
Posted by: Maxine | 22 August 2010 at 15:38
Yes--very helpful! Between Petrona, Reactions to Reading and Eurocrime, I know what I want to read and what not to bother with, what to get from the library and what to order from Book Depository (what a find!) and Amazon.
Posted by: [email protected] | 22 August 2010 at 16:11
I will never keep up with you ('specially not at the moment with my two teenage American nieces staying for the last part of their summer - demanding to be fed and occasionally spoken to without my head in a book - the nerve!) but I do have several of those on my shelves or on order.
I wish more translated fiction would be available in audio format as that's about a third of my reading time and I'm generally stuck with big UK/US blockbusters as that's what gets recorded.
Posted by: Bernadette | 23 August 2010 at 00:26
That was my experience too, Bernadette, when I looked at audio books that were available. And usually they were more expensive than printed editions (unless out-of-print classics). The e-format has recently mushroomed in terms of availability, though...another route to temptation of the eyes (or ears) being larger than one's allocated reading time...
Posted by: Maxine | 23 August 2010 at 10:58