Hello! Today: an interview about literature and the market; a film about Swiss shepherds; a short story collection about being almost happy; and firmly uncool music. 

Article: An interview with Dubravka Ugrešić, by Henry Ace Knight, published by Asymptote 
After reading – and wondering about – one too many “books of the year” lists, I really enjoyed this interview with Dubravka Ugrešić, the Croatian-born writer; in particular her thoughts on how the market affects literature and how translation is influenced (and bought) by national funding. I’ve been thinking about what Moritz Baßler has called “der neue Midcult”, and the constant thirst for something new (see, for example, the many translated authors who only have one book translated, where their work is not seen as an oeuvre but as a series of products, to be replaced or supplemented by something more exciting, rare, successful): “The book industry can’t live on masterpieces. It lives on standardized products, like any other industry. We—the writers, readers, editors, publishers, agents, booksellers, professors of literature—are all exposed to the rich and unstoppable production of books.”

Film: Hiver Nomade (Winter Nomads), directed by Manuel von Stürler, 2012
A Swiss documentary about two shepherds and modern transhumance: Carole and Pascal, on the road through wintery Francophone Switzerland with three donkeys, four dogs and 800 sheep. 86 minutes of strangely absorbing bliss – watch for a surprise puppy! On Mubi for two more days. 

Book: Happy Stories, Mostly by Norman Erikson Pasaribu, translated by Tiffany Tsao
A book that I had been looking forward to for years, and was extremely lucky to work on this summer, is finally out in the world in English translation. This short story collection includes a number of things that I love: a story set in a department of Heaven that satirises heavenly infrastructure; “Europe’s long wooden arm“; some truly awful characters, observed with a great eye for their weaknesses; and the hope, always, simply to be happy as a queer person. Also: one of the best short stories I’ve ever read.
Available as a print or ebook from Tilted Axis Press in the UK and Giramondo in Australia.

Other: Austrian Christmas music
Admittedly, a rather niche thing to recommend. This year, our carol singing took place on the street and while waiting in the cold train station for the train to take us home after Christmas Eve – no singing indoors! A few days before, I came across a brass quartet playing beautiful, melancholy traditional songs in a side street. I couldn’t imagine Christmas without the music, I just love it. This type of Austrian music is sad and hopeful and slightly strange to me, an eternal city mouse. For a taster, here’s some traditional brass music and a traditional Christmas song.

Speaking of literature and the market and the ecosystem that makes literature happen: we're fundraising at work to keep The White Review going in 2022. What would publishing be without the magazines, journals and charities that support, discover and promote early-career and international writers? Already, shrinking review space makes for a much poorer industry. If you can, chip in – there are rewards! One of the many TWR pieces I'd recommend is this one by Lawrence Abu Hamdan about the nightmarish "attempts to determine if the accent of an undocumented migrant corroborates their claim of national identity".