Women in Translation 2026 Recommendations

For August, I'm putting special spotlight on women writers from around the world whose work have been translated into English. I really enjoy world literature because it gives a glimpse into life, traditions, and perspectives of people globally. If only, we could read them how they were originally intended but a good translation gets us close. 🥰

Here are 4 diverse recommendations from across the globe to add to your To-Be-Read:

The Women's Courtyard by Khadija Mastur, Daisy Rockwell (Pakistan, August Diverse Reads pick, Feminist Lit)

Set in the turbulent decade of 1940s India, The Women's Courtyard illuminates a unique perspective on the Partition. The novel follows the struggles of a Muslim family from the perspective of the youngest daughter, Aliya, during the years that lead to Independence. 

Solitaria: A Novel by Eliana Alvez Cruz, Benjamin Brooks (Afro-Brazilian, Literary Fiction)

A raw, propulsive novel by an award-winning Afro-Brazillian novelist about a Black mother and daughter who work as live-in maids for a rich family in an unnamed Brazilian city, and the tragedy to which they unwittingly bear witness.

Shubeik Lubeik by Deena Mohamed (Egyptian, Graphic Novel)

Three wishes that are sold at an unassuming kiosk in Cairo link Aziza, Nour, and Shokry, changing their perspectives as well as their lives. Deena Mohamed brings to life a cast of characters whose struggles and triumphs are heartbreaking, inspiring, and deeply resonant.

The Simple Art of Killing a Woman by Patrícia Melo, Sophie Lewis (Brazilian, Literary Fiction)

The Simple Art of Killing a Woman vividly conjures the epidemic of femicide in Brazil, the power women can hold in the face of overwhelming male violence, the resilience of community despite state-sponsored degradation, and the potential of the jungle to save us all.

Visit Tuma's Books for more Works in Translation to check out!

Thanks for reading,

TUMA