Transnational Literature
Volume 12, Nov 2020
Photo of people boarding trains
Contents
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Articles

A Moving Target is Harder to Hit: Border-Crossing as a Resistance Weapon in Jackie Kay's “The Smuggled Person's Tale”  by Francisco Fuentes Antrás

Indigenous Transnational: Pluses and Perils, and Tara June Winch  by Paul Sharrad

History as the Culprit of the Fractured Past and Present in Gulzar's "Two"  by Sneh Lata Sharma

An Unrecorded Grammar: Speaking Embodiment in J. M. Coetzee’s “In the Heart of the Country”  by Ellen Kriz

Creative-Critical Pieces

Earwitnesses  by Suzanne Hermanoczki

Insights in Transnational Translation: A Case Study in Robyn Rowland’s Poetry  by Mehmet Ali Çelikel

Poetry

Feature Section: Chinese Poetry
In this issue we're honoured to have a selection of Chinese poetry curated by award-winning poet Iris Fan Xing.

The Chinese Poet as Translator: An Introduction  by Iris Fan Xing

South of Words  by Iris Fan Xing

Jay  by Zhou Zan

Slowing  by Bao Huiyi

Worried about Home  by Chris Song Zijiang

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Featured Poet: Alvin Pang
We are delighted to present the work of Alvin Pang, an acclaimed Singaporean poet, writer and editor with an impressive international reputation.

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The Lady of Shalott in 2020  by Rachael Mead

When Your Best Friend Tells You She Is Having An Affair  by Gemma Parker

Ripples  by Jaydeep Sarangi

National Anthem  by Inua Ellams

Low-hanging Fruit  by Joseph Jude

Arm's Length  by Safia Elhillo

Fiction

The Real Presence  by Ron Singer
The opening scenes from Singer’s forthcoming novel, set during the Biafran war.

Vivan’s Woes  by Sujata Sankranti
A reluctant teenager faces lockdown with his family.

Tree of Truth  by C.V. Williams
During a long-distance relationship, and while listening down a phone line in a search for personal intimacy, the “everywoman” of this story finds an even finer insight into love.

The Visit  by Jon Gresham
A transnational short story about those that seek to help a migrant worker in Singapore.

Non-fiction

What We Learn In Times of Pestilence  by Gemma Parker
The narrator reflects on reading Camus in Lockdown.

Qatar: Sunshine, Sand and Souqs  by Lynette Hinings-Marshall
The narrator swaps Colorado for Qatar.

Chanez  by Jayne Marshall
Chanez traces her life through the many countries and languages she has lived in, and latterly her journey to becoming a parent.

My Hikikomori  by Maria Santamaria
The narrator is asked to help the reclusive son of a friend.

Here and There  by Shahminee Selvakannu
Here and There is a life writing piece written by a Malaysian living in Belfast, Northern Ireland, during the Covid-19 pandemic.

Book Reviews

Aftershocks by Anthony Macris, reviewed by Heather Taylor Johnson

Poppies in the Post and Other Poems by Debashish Lahiri, reviewed by Amelia Walker

The Tainted by Cauvery Madhavan and Elsewhere, Home by Leila Aboulela, reviewed by Maggie Gee

The Parisian by Isabella Hammad, reviewed by Kristien Potgieter

Mosaics from the Map and Under this Saffron Sun - Safran Güneşin Altında by Robyn Rowland, Turkish translations by Mehmet Ali Çelikel, reviewed by Catherine Akca

V.S. Naipaul’s Journeys: From Periphery to Center by Sanjay Krishnan, reviewed by Gillian Dooley

Sita’s Sisters by Sanjukta Dasgupta, reviewed by Jaydeep Sarangi

To Gather Your Leaving: Asian Diaspora Poetry from America, Australia, UK & Europe, eds. Boey Kim Cheng, Arin Alycia Fong, Justin Chia, reviewed by Nicholas Jose

In Search of The Woman Who Sailed the World by Danielle Clode, reviewed by Gay Lynch

Rabindranath Tagore by Bashabi Fraser, reviewed by Suparna Banerjee