FROM THE MODERN-DAY BOOK SMUGGLER #2. Kęstutis Kasparavičius' Book in Undiscovered Albania
In this series of posts, we sharing how the books we represent travel the globe, the paths they lead authors on, and stories from the life of the literary agency.
FROM THE MODERN-DAY BOOK SMUGGLER
10/31/20241 min read
Kęstutis Kasparavičius is probably as well known in the book world as Arvydas Sabonis is in basketball. He is Lithuania's most internationally acclaimed children's author, recently nominated for the prestigious Astrid Lindgren Memorial Award for the sixth time.
Kęstutis Kasparavičius' books have been translated into almost three dozen languages, so naturally, discovering new territories is not easy. However, almost five years ago, I met an Albanian publisher for the first time, and shortly after, the book "About Animals. Short Stories"—likely the first Lithuanian children’s book translated into Albanian—was published. We were reminded of this significant edition this summer when Marius Zelenius, Head of Communications at Lithuanian Airports, happened to spot it in a stationery shop during a trip to Albania.
In September, we visited Albania for the first time as well. The book is definitely still available in bookshops. In Tirana, we met the publisher again and discussed another book by Kęstutis over Albanian coffee. By the way, during our time as an agency, five new languages have been added to Kęstutis's impressive collection of translations.
FROM THE MODERN-DAY BOOK SMUGGLER #2
Kęstutis Kasparavičius' Book in Undiscovered Albania
