In recent years, Japanese literature has earned a reputation abroad for its edgy, socially-conscious fiction, which translator Stephen Snyder, 63, has had a hand in encouraging. Snyder has translated titles like “Coin Locker Babies” by Ryu Murakami, “Out” by Natsuo Kirino and last year’s finalist for the International Booker Prize, “The Memory Police” by Yoko Ogawa, which take on issues such as abandoned children, marginalized female factory workers and the role of literature in oppressed societies.
Snyder says how he chooses what to translate is “completely random.”
“After the success of my first translation, I chose novels I thought were the most interesting, whether they were literary or entertainment,” he says. “I've been incredibly lucky in picking the right ones because I've managed to translate some amazing novels, but there's no rhyme or reason to my choices.”
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