About this Event
We are thrilled to welcomeeditor, writer and founder of BookBlast Ltd, Georgia de Chamberet,as host of The Translation Book Club here at Hatchards.
Meeting on the second Monday of each month, we will be discussing works of fiction in translation from around the world published in the last ten years. With the promise that the titles chosen by Georgia and Hatchards booksellers will be well-written, engaging storytelling, the book club aims to inspire reading for pleasure as well asilluminating cultures beyond our shores.
“Grey Bees”
by Andrey Kurkov, translated by Boris Dralyuk.
Little Starhorodivka, a village of three streets, lies in Ukraine's Grey Zone, the no-man's-land between loyalist and separatist forces. Thanks to the lukewarm war of sporadic violence and constant propaganda that has been dragging on for years, only two residents remain: retired safety inspector turned beekeeper Sergey Sergeyich and Pashka, a "frenemy" from his schooldays. With little food and no electricity, under ever-present threat of bombardment, Sergeyich's one remaining pleasure is his bees. As spring approaches, he knows he must take them far from the Grey Zone so they can collect their pollen in peace. This simple mission on their behalf introduces him to combatants and civilians on both sides of the battle lines: loyalists, separatists, Russian occupiers and Crimean Tatars. Wherever he goes, Sergeyich's childlike simplicity and strong moral compass disarm everyone he meets. But could these qualities be manipulated to serve an unworthy cause, spelling disaster for him, his bees and his country?
Grey Bees is a timely novel that treats the unfolding crisis in Ukraine with sensitivity and imagination, underpinned by Kurkov's signature humour.
And, for your calendars, the following two meetings are:
Monday 10thJune, 6pm to discuss
“The Quarter” by Naguib Mahfouz, translated by Roger Allen
Monday 8thJuly, 6pm to discuss
“The Years” by Annie Ernaux translated by Alison Strayer
Please see separate Eventbrite posts to book tickets.
Tickets for this evening include £3 off the purchase of either of these titles.
Event Venue & Nearby Stays
London - Hatchards - Piccadilly, 187 Piccadilly, London, United Kingdom
GBP 5.00 to GBP 10.00
