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Holly Porter reviews one of the latest events to come from Swansea University’s Cultural Institute’s Literary Salon Series, ‘Voice and Form in Contemporary Fiction: Women Authors from Wales and Europe in conversation’ and explores where these critically-acclaimed female authors fit within the literature of today.

Team Parthian are delighted to announce that Hana, Alena Mornštajnová’s gripping novel, superbly translated from Czech by Julia and Peter Sherwood, has been longlisted for the EBRD Literature Prize 2021! Announcing the longlist of ten, Toby Lichtig, Chair of the Judges, said: "Given the diversity of territories covered by the EBRD, it is perhaps unsurprising how varied and culturally rich this longlist is, both thematically and stylistically ... Each book is unique, each translation brilliantly realised.” Described as "a shattering book" by Niall Griffiths in Planet magazine, and previous winner of the Czech National Book Award, Hana is based on real...

Niall Griffiths, in the latest issue of Planet, out this month, has reviewed three Parthian novels in translation: Hana by Alena Mornštajnová (translated from Czech by Julia and Peter Sherwood), Insomnia by Alberts Bels (translated from Latvian by Jayde Will) and Exiles by Dónall Mac Amhlaigh (translated from Irish by Mícheál Ó hAodha). Describing Hana as "a shattering book", he goes on: "Mornštajnová knows howto highlight the specific details in which the Devil lurks: the pride in the neatness with which yellow stars are stitched to lapels is truly heartbreaking..." Turning to Insomnia, Griffiths dissects the power of the imagination...

"The prose is an absolute joy to read and the ease at which Mornštajnová moves between places, narrators and points in time is just astonishing. Full of twists, turns, and gut-wrenching revelations, this is storytelling at its best, and the level of empathy which Mornštajnová creates in the reader for her characters is unparalleled." Elie Howe, reviewing for her blog site, Two in a Teacup, has reviewed Hana by Alena Mornštajnová, and it's a good one! You can read the full review here. And you can order your copy of Hana, which was released on October 1st, here.