We are proud to announce the nomination of Office Girl by Joe Meno in the Twenty Reader's Favorite works of Fiction by Believer Magazine's readers. The readers were asked to elect titles which they thought were the strongest works of fiction published in 2012.

No one dies, nobody talks about the international political situation, there is no mention of any economic collapse and nothing takes place during a world war. This novel is about Jack and Odile, two young people doing interesting things in the final moments of the last century.

Office Girl will be released on the 8th of July just in time to become a perfect summer read.

George Szirtes wins poetry award

We are delighted to announce that our translator George Szirtes has won the 2013 Centre for Literacy in Primary Education (CLPE) Poetry Award for In the Land of Giants, illustrated by Helen Szirtes and published by Salt

From the Mouth of the Whale shortlisted for the 2013 International IMPAC Dublin Literary Award

Telegram is delighted to announce the shortlisting of Sjón's novel From the Mouth of the Whale, translated by Victoria Cribb, for the 2013 International IMPAC Dublin Literary Award.

Telegram publisher Lynn Gaspard said: 'Sjón is a brilliant writer and From the Mouth of the Whale is bursting with wondrous prose and wit. Victoria Cribb garnered much deserved praise for the quality of her translation and should also be celebrated today. I am absolutely thrilled that Sjón has secured a well-deserved place on the shortlist, and that half of the shortlisted titles are translations. It is a proud day indeed for those publishers that champion literary translations.'

The full shortlist can be found on the official IMPAC website

The winner will be announced in June 2013.

Aslı Perker to appear at the London Book Fair 2013

With this year's focus on Turkey, we are thrilled to announce that Telegram author Aslı Perker will be taking part in several discussions at the London Book Fair in April.

'At the Crossroads of Culture: Writing Turkey from a Distance' will feature writers from the Turkey and the UK discussing writing Turkey and home from afar. What are the effects of exile, absence, distance and foreign surroundings on how we think about home?

16 Apr 2013, 11:30 - 12:30
Whitehall Room, EC2

'Literary Editors on Turkish Literature' This conversation will focus on the role of book reviews on literature, which have been know to either make or destroy certain authors' literary reputations.

16 Apr 2013, 14:30 - 15:30
Whitehall Room, EC2

Aslı Perker's novel Soufflé is out in April.

For more information about the London Book Fair, please visit the official website

Saqi Books wins IPG Diversity Award 2013
We are delighted to announce that Saqi Books has won the IPG Diversity Award at the 2013 IPG Independent Publishing Awards.

Saqi Books was picked by the judges for contributing to diversity with cutting-edge books from numerous territories, and the Middle East and North Africa in particular. The judges were impressed by our ability to balance both scholarly and accessible publishing, and our thirst for tackling controversial issues.

Publisher, Lynn Gaspard, said: 'Saqi is celebrating thirty years of publishing this year. Over this time, I believe that we have made our mark as a publisher that is not afraid to take risks: whether it's releasing works by feminist and other minority writers from the Middle East — or from the UK for that matter — or literary fiction from around the world. I am deeply passionate about what we do, and would like to thank my colleagues and our authors, without whom of course none of this would be possible. Sometimes what we publish does make a difference, and I am very grateful for such awards that recognise the work we do.'

Also shortlisted in this category were Frances Lincoln Children's Books and Phonic Books.

Saqi Books shortlisted for two IPG Awards 2013
We are delighted to announce that Saqi has been shortlisted in two categories in this year's IPG Independent Publishing Awards: the Diversity Award and the Young Independent Publisher of the Year.

Here is what the judges had to say about Saqi:

IPG Diversity Award
'Saqi Books is shortlisted for contributing to diversity with cutting-edge books from numerous territories and the Middle East and North Africa in particular. It has adroitly balanced scholarly and accessible publishing, and has never been afraid to tackle controversial issues. 'Bringing so many books from Arab and Islamic countries to the UK is an impressive achievement and can only help to promote better cultural understanding,' said the judges.'

IPG Young Independent Publisher of the Year
Lynn Gaspard of Saqi Books impressed judges with her far-reaching work as its publisher, taking in both fiction and non-fiction and jobs from editorial to rights. They hailed her substantial achievements on small budgets and admired her commitment to publishing in translations and cultural diversity. 'Sticking up for the Islamic world and telling people about it might not be an easy job at the moment, but Lynn has had a huge impact on her market.'

You can see the full shortlist here

2013 Catalogue Available Online

We are delighted to announce the arrival of our brand new 2013 catalogue featuring the latest titles from Saqi Books, Telegram and The Westbourne Press.

Ranging from stimulating and challenging works on the Middle East to new literary works by British and international writers, there is something here for everyone.

Now available online HERE

The Summer My Father Died now available

Telegram is very pleased to announce the release of The Summer My Father Died by hungarian author Yudit Kiss; a warm, graceful and poignant memoir, lovingly translated by George Szirtes.

Lisa Appignanesi says: 'In this remarkable memoir, Yudit Kiss uncovers the paternal history that shaped her own, even while she was unaware of it ... the journey is riveting.'

To read more click here.

Jamilia: Waterstones' Book of The Month

A classic love story by acclaimed Soviet author Chingiz Aitmatov has been selected as Waterstones' Book of the Month for August: an uprecedented move for a backlist title in translation and a testament to the book's enduring charms.

James Daunt said: 'There were undoubtedly other, newer books we could have chosen, but I think sometimes it is the job of the bookseller to recommend the unexpected. If Waterstones can bring some new readers to this small masterpiece, we will have done our job well.' He also said of Jamilia: 'It is hard to imagine a more perfect example of the short novel.'

We would like to thank everyone at Waterstones for their enthusiasm and support. It has been a very exciting month indeed!

The Whispering Muse out now

Telegram are thrilled to publish Sjón's wondrous new novel The Whispering Muse - described by David Mitchell as 'quirky, melodic, ticklish ... a gem of a novel.' The Whispering Muse tells of Valdimar Haraldsson, an eccentric Icelander with elevated ideas about the influence of fish consumption on Nordic civilisation.

Sjón spoke at Hay Literature Festival with Orange Prize winner Madeline Miller in June (see photo above) and will be taking part in a host of events throughout the UK this year. For more information click here

Telegram to publish new London novel Vauxhall

Rukhsana Yasmin has acquired rights to a debut novel by BBC Radio 3 Nightwaves presenter Gabriel Gbadamosi to be published in March 2013.

Vauxhall tells the story of a young boy growing up in inner city London - a melting pot bursting with all walks of Lambeth life in the early 70s.

Gabriel Gbadamosi is a playwright and presenter previously for the BBC World Service and more recently R3 Nightwaves. In 2011 he won the Tibor Jones Pageturner Prize For Ficion for Vauxhall and his essays have been widely published.

http://www.thebookseller.com/news/szirtes-wins-poetry-award.htmlhttp://www.telegrambooks.com/archives/telegram/telegram_news/Telegram Editor WINS Kim Scott Walwyn Prize 2012

Rukhsana Yasmin, our very own commissioning editor, has been named winner of the Kim Scott Walwyn Prize 2012 - the only national prize to recognise both the professional achievements and promise of female publishers.

On receipt of the prize, Rukhsana said:
'I am thrilled at winning the Kim Scott Walwyn Prize and haven't stopped smiling. I am so lucky to work in publishing where I meet passionate, interesting and incredible people every day, and to be rewarded with this prize is both unexpected and incredibly gratifying.'

The judges said:
'Rukhsana came across as a remarkable candidate in her application, communicating her passion and commitment for the authors and books she has commissioned. Rukshana has recently returned to Saqi books as a Commissioning Editor with a determination to commission and publish works that are original and important, reflecting her own passion for communicating science, ideas, and remarkable life stories to as wide an audience as possible.'

From the Mouth of the Whale shortlisted for the Independent Foreign Fiction Prize 2012

Telegram is delighted to announce the shortlisting of Sjón's novel From the Mouth of the Whale for the Independent Foreign Fiction Prize 2012. Telegram publisher Lynn Gaspard said: 'We are thrilled that Sjón has secured a well-deserved place on the shortlist. From the Mouth of the Whale is bursting with wondrous prose and wit. Victoria Cribb has garnered much deserved praise for the quality of her translation and has, from the publisher's point of view, been a dream translator. We are very proud to be their publisher. I am also proud to share such a fantastic shortlist with four other independent publishers.'

From the Mouth of the Whale joins the shortlist with Alice by Judith Hermann, Blooms of Darkness by Aharon Appelfeld, Dream of Ding Village by Yan Lianke, New Finnish Grammar by Diego Marani and The Prague Cemetery by Umberto Eco.

Maggie Gee made OBE

A massive congratulations to Saqi and Telegram author Maggie Gee, who has been awarded an OBE in the New Years Honours list for her services to literature.

Maggie has published many novels to great acclaim, including The White Family, shortlisted for the 2003 Orange Prize and the International IMPAC Dublin Literary Award. She was the first female Chair of the Royal Society of Literature and is now one of its Vice-Presidents.

She is also a member of Brent SOS Libraries group and has been campaigning tirelessly alongside residents to save the Kensal Rise branch.

Nawal el Saadawi wins Women of the Year Outstanding Achievement Award 2011

Saqi Books is delighted to announce that the Egyptian writer, novelist and activist, Nawal el Sadaawi is the winner of the Good Housekeeping Women of the Year Outstanding Achievement Award 2011.

The award recognises a woman who has achieved significant cultural, social, economic or political success, both domestically and internationally. The judges believe that Nawal El Sadaawi, who - as she approaches her landmark 80th birthday - is 'still inspiring students and women to fight for their beliefs.'

Author of over 40 books that have been translated into over 30 languages, Nawal El Saadawi has fought relentlessly against injustice and the barriers faced by women in Egypt, both in her work as a physician and psychiatrist and in her writing. Nawal is very happy to have been honoured with this award, adding 'it means that my creative work gains more and more recognition from my peers and others and it will help other groups in other countries to recognise my work, too. Winning this award encourages me to continue my creative dissident writing and fighting.'

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Last modified on May 10, 2013  | © Telegram 2005