Translated Accounts

In Translated Accounts, the Booker Prize-winning author of How late it was, how late, offers us a harrowing glimpse into a realm where power is unchecked and liberties are few or nonexistent. Taking us into an unnamed territory that appears to be under military rule, Kelman creates a world that many know or have known, a world that may one day be thrust upon us, conjuring a grim awareness of the instability that lurks behind the veneer of order in any country. Filtering the dark visions of Franz Kafka through the verbal brilliance of Samuel Beckett, Kelman has written a novel that is often shocking, yet surprisingly poignant, and totally unforgettable. “Reminiscent of the great dramatic poets of 20th century literature . . . Harold Pinter and Samuel Beckett.” —Los Angeles Times Book Review

“It is a singular achievement that Kelman succeeds in so unsettling us . . . Something of a masterpiece.” —The Independent

“Reminds us that fiction can be more than parochial, more than glamorous literary noise, more than journalism. Kelman offers us a challenge. We should accept it.” —The Sunday Times (London)

“One of the most enjoyable writers around.” —The Guardian
James Kelman was born in Glasgow in 1946. A Disaffection won the James Tait Black Memorial Prize and was shortlisted for the Booker Prize, which he won in 1994 for How late it was, how late.