I used to have a cookbook for kids — still do, come to think of it — called Cooking is a Way Round the World. Hence the post title. To quote Julie:
In one of my Goodreads groups, a clever person had the idea of each of us challenging ourselves to read a book by an author from every country. Obviously, this is a big challenge, and not something that can be banged out in three minutes, or even three months (for most of us!)
This struck me as an excellent idea. I think of it as like Munroing: there may be a few nutters who race to climb all 284 peaks in the fastest possible time, but for most people it’s a lifetime target, just picking off a few a year as opportunity allows.
Until the sport’s governing body comes up with an official set of rules, I’m allowing myself any genre, fiction, non-fiction, poetry, whatever; and I’m starting with the 192 member states of the UN plus any additional pseudo-nations I think are worth adding. At the moment the target is 201: the UN states, with the UK broken down into four regions, plus Palestine, Tibet, Antarctica, Greenland and the Cook Islands. EDIT: And as of July 2011, South Sudan; which isn’t a member of the UN yet, but I assume will be soon.
Just racking my brains for books I’d already read, my starting score was 36.
My current total is: 157 read, 44 to go.
Details below the fold.
‘Countries’ which are not UN member states are marked with an asterisk. Greyed-out countries are ones I haven’t read yet.
You can also see which countries I’ve ticked off on a map here.
Afghanistan
The Kite Runner, Khaled Hosseini
Albania
The Palace of Dreams, Ismail Kadare
Algeria
The Stranger, Albert Camus
Andorra
The Teacher of Cheops, Albert Salvadó
Angola
The Whistler, Ondjaki
Antarctica*
Antigua and Barbuda
Annie John, Jamaica Kincaid
Argentina
Labyrinths, Jorge Luis Borges
Armenia
Remnants: Way of the Womb, Hagop Oshagan
Australia
Clive James, Peter Carey, Patrick White, etc
Austria
Azerbaijan
How Life Imitates Chess, Garry Kasparov
Bahamas
Mama Lily and the Dead, Nicolette Bethel
Bahrain
Voices II: Contemporary Bahraini Short Stories, ed. & trans. Hasan Marhamah
Bras, Boys, and Blunders: Juliet & Romeo in Bahrain by Vidya Samson
Bangladesh
Barbados
Whispering Death: The Life and Times of Michael Holding, Michael Holding with Tony Cozier
Belarus
Voices from Chernobyl and Zinky Boys: Soviet Voices from the Afghanistan War, both by Svetlana Alexievich
Belgium
Belize
Beka Lamb, Zee Edgell
Benin
African Philosophy: Myth & Reality, Paulin J. Hountondji
Bhutan
Tales in Colour and Other Stories and Bhutanese Tales Of The Yeti, Kunzang Choden
Bolivia
Bosnia and Herzegovina
How the Soldier Repairs the Gramophone, Saša Stanišić
Botswana
Brazil
Dona Flor and Her Two Husbands, Jorge Amado
Epitaph of a Small Winner, Machado de Assis
Brunei Darussalam
The Forlorn Adventure, Amir Falique
Bulgaria
Burkina Faso
Of Water and the Spirit: Ritual Magic, and Initiation in the Life of an African Shaman, Malidoma Patrice Somé
Burundi
The Running Man, Gilbert Tuhabonye
Cambodia
Survival in the Killing Fields, Haing Ngor and Roger Warner
Cameroon
Canada
Being in Being : The Collected Works of a Master Haida Mythteller, Skaay of the Qquuna Qiighawaay (trans. Robert Bringhurst)
also Margaret Atwood, Yann Martel, etc
Cape Verde
The Last Will and Testament of Senhor da Silva Araújo, Germano Almeida
Central African Republic
My Country, Africa: Autobiography of the Black Pasionaria, Andrée Blouin
Chad
Told by Starlight in Chad, Joseph Brahim Seid
Chile
House of the Spirits, Isabel Allende
China
Wild Swans, Jung Chang
Colombia
Gabriel García Márquez, obviously
Comoros
Congo
Broken Glass, Alain Mabanckou
Cook Islands*
Island Boy, Sir Tom Davis, Pa Tuterangi Ariki
Costa Rica
Côte d’Ivoire
Waiting for the Wild Beasts to Vote, Ahmadou Kourouma
Croatia
The Culture of Lies, Dubravka Ugrešić
Cuba
Three Trapped Tigers, Guillermo Cabrera Infante
Cyprus
Echoes from the Dead Zone, Yiannis Papadakis
Czech Republic
Franz Kafka, Jaroslav Hašek, Milan Kundera
War with the Newts, Karel Čapek
Democratic Republic of the Congo
Life and a Half, Sony Lab’ou Tansi
Denmark
Djibouti
The Land Without Shadows, Abdourahman A. Waberi
Dominica
Dominican Republic
The Brief Wondrous Life of Oscar Wao, Junot Díaz
Ecuador
Beyond the Islands, Alicia Yánez Cossío
Egypt
The Tale of Sinuhe and Other Ancient Egyptian Poems, 1940-1640 BC, trans. R.B. Parkinson
El Salvador
Equatorial Guinea
Shadows of your Black Memory, Donato Ndongo
Eritrea
Who Needs a Story? — Contemporary Eritrean Poetry in Tigrinya, Tigre and Arabic, ed. Charles Cantalupo and Ghirmai Negash
Estonia
Treading Air, Jaan Kross
Ethiopia
Warrior King, Sahle Sellassie
Fiji
Finland
The Year of the Hare, Arto Paasilinna
France
Colette, Balzac, Proust etc
Gabon
Gambia
Georgia
Kvachi, Mikheil Javakhishvili
Germany
Goethe, Thomas Mann, etc
Red Love: The Story of an East German Family, Maxim Leo
Ghana
Greece
Zorba the Greek, Nikos Kazantzakis
Greenland
Across Arctic America, Knud Rasmussen
Grenada
Ragamuffin, Tobias S. Buckell
Guatemala
The President, Miguel Angel Asturias
Guinea
The King of Kahel, Tierno Monénembo
The Radiance of the King, Camara Laye
Guinea-Bissau
Para Vasco: poemas da Guiné-Bissau / For Vasco: poems from Guinea-Bissau
Guyana
From Sir, With Love, E.R. Braithwaite
Haiti
Masters of the Dew, Jacques Roumain
Honduras
Complete Works and Other Stories, Augusto Monterroso
Hungary
Journey By Moonlight, Antal Szerb
Iceland
Independent People, Halldór Laxness
India
Salman Rushdie, Vikram Seth
Indonesia
This Earth of Mankind, Pramoedya Ananta Toer
Iran
My Father’s Notebook, Kader Abdolah
The Colonel, Mahmoud Dowlatabadi
Iraq
Thirsty River, Rodaan Al Galidi
Ireland
Joyce, Yeats, Swift etc etc
Israel
Italy
The Leopard, Giuseppe Tomasi di Lampedusa
Jamaica
Japan
The Wind-up Bird Chronicle, Haruki Murakami
Jordan
Cities of Salt, Abdelrahman Munif
Kazakhstan
Almaty-Transit, Dana Mazur
Kenya
A Grain of Wheat, Ngũgĩ Wa Thiong’o
Kiribati
Kuwait
The Chronicles of Dathra, a Dowdy Girl from Kuwait, Danderma
Kyrgyzstan
The Day Lasts More than a Hundred Years, Chingiz Aitmatov
Laos
Mother’s Beloved: Stories from Laos, Outhine Bounyavong
Latvia
Lebanon
The Book of Khalid, Ameen Rihani
Lesotho
Chaka, Thomas Mofolo
Liberia
Redemption Road, Elma Shaw
Libya
The Bleeding of the Stone, Ibrahim Al-Koni
Liechtenstein
Nora by Ferdinande von Brackel, translated by Princess Marie of Liechtenstein
Stamping Grounds: Exploring Liechtenstein and Its World Cup Dream, Charlie Connelly
Lithuania
Luxembourg
Macedonia, FYRO
Madagascar
Translations from the Night, Jean-Joseph Rabearivelo
Malawi
The Chattering Wagtails of Mikuyu Prison, Jack Mapanje
Maldives
Mali
The Fortunes of Wangrin, Amadou Hampaté Bâ
Malta
The Maltese Baron… and I Lucian, Francis Ebejer
Marshall Islands
Life in the Republic of the Marshall Islands , ed. Anono Lieom Loeak, Veronica C. Kiluwe, Linda Crowl
Mauritania
Crossing the Atlantic Ocean in Search of Happiness, Amadou Ndiaye
Mauritius
Blue Bay Palace, Natacha Appanah
Mexico
Down the Rabbit Hole, Juan Pablo Villalobos
Micronesia, Federated States of
My Urohs, Emelihter Kihleng
Moldova
From Tajikistan to the Moon, Robert Frimtzis
Monaco
Mongolia
The Blue Mountain, Galsan Tschinag
Montenegro
Morocco
Mozambique
We killed Mangy-Dog & other Mozambique stories, Luis Bernardo Honwana
Myanmar
From the Land of Green Ghosts, Pascal Khoo Thwe
Namibia
Dante International, Sharon Kasanda
Nauru
Legends, Traditions and Tales of Nauru, Timothy Detudamo
Nepal
The Soul of the Rhino, Hemanta Mishra
Netherlands
The Diary of a Young Girl, Anne Frank
New Zealand
The Bone People, Keri Hulme
Nicaragua
The Country Under My Skin, Gioconda Belli
Niger
The Epic of Askia Mohammed, Nouhou Malio
Nigeria
Things Fall Apart, Chinua Achebe
North Korea
This is Paradise! My North Korean Childhood, Hyok Kang
Norway
The Ice Palace, Tarjei Vesaas
Oman
Mirabella and the Pearl of Chulothe, Laila Al Bellucci
Pakistan
Kartography, Kamila Shamsie
Basti, Intizar Husain
Palau
Palestine*
The Butterfly’s Burden, Mahmoud Darwish
Panama
America’s Prisoner: The Memoirs of Manuel Noriega, Manuel Noriega and Peter Eisner
Papua New Guinea
Maiba, Russell Soaba
Paraguay
Exotic Territory: A Bilingual Anthology of Contemporary Paraguayan Poetry, ed. & trans. Ronald Haladyna
Peru
Aunt Julia and the Scriptwriter, Mario Vargas Llosa
Philippines
Noli Me Tangere, José Rizal
Poland
The Secret Agent, Joseph Conrad
Portugal
The Maias, José Maria de Eça de Queiroz
Qatar
Qatari Voices, ed. Mohanalakshmi Rajakumar and Carol Henderson
Romania
Russia
Dostoyevsky, Tolstoy, Nabokov, Solzhenitsyn etc
Rwanda
Saint Kitts and Nevis
Saint Lucia
Tiepolo’s Hound, Derek Walcott
Saint Vincent and the Grenadines
City of Arches, Vivian Child
Samoa
Leaves of the Banyan Tree, Albert Wendt
San Marino
The Republic of San Marino, Charles de Bruc
Sao Tome and Principe
Saudi Arabia
Yes, (Saudi) Minister! A Life in Administration, Ghazi Algosaibi
Senegal
God’s Bits of Wood, Ousmane Sembène
Serbia
Seychelles
88 Days – A true story of Somali Pirates in the Indian Ocean, Francis Roucou
Sierra Leone
The Devil That Danced on the Water, Aminatta Forna
Singapore
Equal to the Earth, Jee Leong Koh
Slovakia
Rivers of Babylon by Peter Pišťanek
Slovenia
The Golden Boat by Srečko Kosovel
Solomon Islands
The Big Death: Solomon Islanders Remember World War II
Somalia
South Africa
Long Walk to Freedom, Nelson Mandela
South Korea
The Memoirs of Lady Hyegyŏng: The Autobiographical Writings of a Crown Princess of Eighteenth-Century Korea, trans. and ed. JaHyun Kim Haboush
South Sudan
Spain
Cervantes, Lorca
Sri Lanka
Anil’s Ghost, Michael Ondaatje
Sudan
Season of Migration to the North, Tayeb Salih
Suriname
The Free Negress Elisabeth, Cynthia Mc Leod
Swaziland
The Wah-Wah Diaries, Richard E. Grant
Sweden
Switzerland
The Glass Bead Game, Hermann Hesse
Syria
A Woman in the Crossfire: Diaries of the Syrian Revolution, Samar Yazbek
Tajikistan
The Sands of Oxus, Sadriddin Aini
Tanzania
Thailand
Tibet*
Born in Tibet, Chögyam Trungpa
Timor-Leste
Togo
An African in Greenland, Tété-Michel Kpomassie
Tonga
Songs Of Love: New And Selected Poems (1974-1999), Konai Helu Thaman
Trinidad and Tobago
Beyond the Boundary, C.L.R. James
Tunisia
Turkey
Turkmenistan
Tuvalu
Uganda
Abyssinian Chronicles, Moses Isegawa
United Arab Emirates
The Diesel, Thani al-Suwaidi
United Kingdom
England*: too many to mention
Northern Ireland*: Seamus Heaney, Paul Muldoon
Scotland*: Iain Banks, Robert Burns, Robert Henryson etc
Wales*: Dylan Thomas
United States of America
too many to mention
Moby Dick, Herman Melville
Uruguay
Soccer in Sun and Shadow, Eduardo Galeano
Ukraine
Only Yesterday, S.Y. Agnon
Uzbekistan
The Railway, Hamid Ismailov
Vanuatu
Black Stone, Grace Mera Molisa
Venezuela
Doña Bárbara, Rómulo Gallegos
Vietnam
The Paradise of the Blind, Duong Thu Huong
Yemen
The Hostage, Zayd Mutee‘ Dammaj
Zambia
Poceza m’Madzulo: Some Chinyanja Radio Plays of Julius Chongo with English Translations, Ernst R. Wendland
Zimbabwe
Don’t Let’s Go to the Dogs Tonight, Alexandra Fuller
21 replies on “Reading is a way round the world”
I don’t know what rules you’ve set up for yourself, since we’re all different, but Alexander McCall Smith was actually born in Zimbabwe, though he writes about Botswana. I’m filing him under Zimbabwe, I think, though it appears Zimbabwe is a much easier country to fill than Botswana!
I don’t really know what rules I’m using either, but I don’t think McCall Smith qualifies. I think I might scratch him altogether and look for someone else for Zimbabwe.
Tsitsi Dangarembga is another Zimbabwean.
Thanks, I’ll keep her in mind.
Harry, we’re flexible on the rules. I’ve already reclassified a few books and expect this to continue; certainly when I read an author who’s clearly a better fit. I’ve also shifted some of my exemplars from the books I’ve previously read–this morning I thought “Michael White! He’s an Aussie writer whose work is incredibly relevant to my profession! I should list him rather than Garth Nix!”
Good :)
The point of the exercise, for me, is to read a lot of books I wouldn’t otherwise have read, and I’m sure that will happen however I approach it.
At the moment the prospect seems a little daunting, but I’m not setting a deadline and I should have a few decades left to tick off the remaining 163 countries, so there’s no rush.
That’s exactly it for me, too, Harry. My horizons can get way too narrow if I don’t take care to expand them. I’m very excited about some of the books I’ve put on my list, but I never would have thought to look for them if not for this challenge.
Some books from The Bahamas:
Bahamas – No Seeds in Babylon or God’s Angry Babies, Ian Strachan, or You Can Lead A Horse To Water, Winston Saunders
All are available online.
You could also read my play, which is available from Lulu.com. I take full responsibility for the awfulness of the photos.
Yes, it occurred to me I could order Jee Leong’s book to tick off Singapore, as well.
I might pick your brains for other Caribbean writers later, as well.
I’ve posted longer lists on Shoshana’s blog.
Excellent, thanks for that.
Thanks Harry for your lovely commentaries, reviews and insight. As we re-read the literary world map about us all through Heraclitean Fire I wonder if we could stop by at some ports of call and re-fuel with what’s new by way of titles, the read, the unread, and the yet to be read… What I mean is, say, how about stopping by at Port Moresby, Papua New Guinea, and checking out what’s new there. Be invited, feel most invited, great countries, great cultures and great lovers of the word, and check out The Anuki Country Press. There could be more from that island in the Pacific…
You should try reading Kim Young-Ha’s books or Shin Kyung-sook’s books for South Korea part. They are both good and available in English, I believe.
Thanks, I’ll them out!
[Check them out, rather. Doh.]
Thaks for this list! I am trying to do the same reading. But why have you forgotten about Sweden? :)
I’ve read Pippi Longstocking…
I’m trying not to leave all the most difficult countries until last, so that I have something interesting to look forward too. Sweden is a treat I can promise myself for later.
So you find Sweden a difficult country? Interesting :) If you want help with finding good swedish writers who are tanslated to english, just tell me! (And, Sweden is not on your list of countries.)
Sorry, I explained that badly. No, Sweden should be easy to find books for, even for someone who doesn’t like crime fiction. I’ve liked the occasional Tranströmer I’ve read, maybe I’ll get his collected poems.
I can see Sweden in the list at the top of the page, between Switzerland and Swaziland; it’s greyed out because I haven’t read it yet.
Ah, now I see. I looked at the long list with countries and books.
Yes, thats what I thougt. Sweish crimes isn’t very good, only popular. So don’t go there if you don’t have too :) Tranströmer is very good! Selma Lagerlöf is also classic and have written many books that still is a pleasure to read.
Thanks for the suggestions!
Hello, Harry! My name is Diego from Argentina. I realise it’s been quite a few years since your last reply, but I just happen to be tryin’ to do the same thing as you: reading one book of each country. So far I’ve read books from 90 different countries, so I still have a long way ahead… Anyway, I wanted to ask you if this list you posted is updated or if you could advance much further. (It’s quite complicated to find writers from remote places, so it would great to see how you managed to solve it in places like Palau or Kiribati). In the meantime, there are a few countries you are missing in this list that I have already read, so if you accept suggestions, here I go:
Austria: “The Golem” – Gustav Meyrink.
Belgium: “Desire” – Hugo Claus.
Botswana: “The Collector of Treasures and Other Botswana Village Tales” – Bessie Head (though born in South Africa, it is considered a writer from Botswana).
Israel: “Panther in the basement” – Amos Oz.
Morocco: “The last friend” – Tahar Ben Jelloun.
Rwanda: “The barefoot woman” – Scholastique Mukasonga.
Well, that would be all… Thank you and take care!
Diego.