The work of literature, as Umberto Eco said, is “a sweet mission in this world dominated by disorder and decay.” In that spirit, the Asymptote blog is looking for fellow thinkers and readers in furthering our mission, by contributing to the global conversation on literature and the arts in translation.
Showcasing new translations and daily writings on world literature and culture, the Asymptote blog is on the constant lookout for individual voices, probing analysis, and topicality in our postings. We have published pieces on topics ranging from global cinema, to the ethics of review, to the literature of revolution. Apart from essays, we run dispatches from international literary events, interviews, weekly new translations, book reviews, and more. Like our journal, we are looking for creative, original, and highly engaging work that considers the role of translation in literature, the arts, and the fabric of everyday life.
We encourage writers of all stripes and colours to engage with global issues as well as particular interests. At Asymptote, we’re all about breaking borders and boundaries, and are looking for writing that does the same.
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Recent highlights from the blog include:
Peera Songkünnatham on the persistence of Thai literature under the nation’s censorious lèse majesté law.
Jovanka Kalaba on the New Sincerity movement in Serbian poetry, and how it confronts the nation’s social traumas.
Rainer Hanshe speaking with Rachel Allen on his independent publishing house, Contra Mundum, and its commitment to Modernist works and principles.
MARGENTO reporting from the ground at the immersive and multi-media Brussels Planetarium Poetry Fest.
Renowned Dantist and professor Hideyuki Doi on the beginnings of Dante in Japan.
Send your submissions, pitches or queries to our blog editors at blog@asymptotejournal.com. Send us your best, most critically engaged and creative writing on the most important matters of the day. Rolling deadline.