Nenad Šaponja (Agora) - Publisher Cecilia Brainard's Foreign Translations

 

Nenad Šaponja

On October 17, 2025, at 1 pm, at the Frankfurt Book Fair, seven international publishers and I will gather at the Pilipinas Stage, Philippine Stand Hall 5.1 A95 & B95 to celebrate the translations they have done of my fiction.

To honor these publishers who are working hard to finish their translations for FBM25, I'm going to highlight each one of them in my blog. I'll be posting the covers of the book, in the various editions. If the featured publisher's cover isn't done yet, check back in.

Meet Nenad Šaponja!

Nenad Šaponja translated into Serbian Cecilia Brainard’s novels, Magdalena and The Newspaper Widow under the imprint of Agora Publishing House. Šaponja is the owner and editor-in-chief of Agora, which he founded in 2002. It is one of the most renowned publishing houses in the Balkans, through which he has edited and published more than 400 titles.

Šaponja, who lives in Novi Sad, Serbia, began his career as a neuropsychiatrist. He later followed his innermost calling and started writing poetry. His poetry fuses his backgrounds as neuropsychiatrist and poet, and gives a deep insight into the human mind. His verses are recognizable in contemporary Serbian poetry due to their stylistic perfection, hermetic quality and metaphysical insight. His poetry has been translated into more than ten languages and he has received prestigious regional awards. An essayist and literary critic as well, he has published eight books of poetry, three books of literary criticism, and a travel book.

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Magdalena 

"Expertly written by Cecilia Manguerra Brainard … Magdalena is set in the chaotic backdrop of twentieth century East Asia. A romantic, powerful tale of three generations of Filipino women, written with a close eye on the terrors of war and the Japanese invasion of the Philippines during World War II, Magdalena is an intense, involving, highly recommended saga that documents author Cecilia Manguerra Brainard as a gifted author with a mastery of storytelling that will keep the reader’s total attention and engagement from first page to last!~ Midwest Book Review

 

The Newspaper Widow

Finalist for the Philippines 37th National Book Award

Shortlisted for the Inaugural Cirilo F. Bautista Prize for the Novel

Cecilia Manguerra Brainard’s novel is full and complex, overflowing with textured, fully realized characters who drive the story on every page. ~Foreword Reviews

 

Cover  of The Newspaper Widow by Bata Press

 

Cover of The Newspaper Widow by Super zalosba

READ ALSO

Celebrating Translations of Cecilia Manguerra Brainard's Fiction - with Press Release

Cecilia Brainard Fiction: The One-Night Stand at the Frankfurt Book Fair  

         Cecilia Brainard Fiction: After the Ascension 

           

Tags:  #nbdb2025 #FBM2025 #fbm25 #PHLGoh #GoH2025 #philippinesfrankfurt2025 #imaginationpeoplestheair #Serbiantranslation #Serbianpublisher #bookSerbian

Dr. Takuya Matsuda (Genki Shobou) - Publisher Cecilia Brainard's Foreign Translations

  

There will be a celebration at the Frankfurt Book Fair of the Foreign Translation of Cecilia Manguerra Brainard - information below. Unfortunately Tokyo-based Genki Shobou will not be there, but they sent a message. Read on.

Message from Dr. Takuya Matsuda, Genki Shobou, Tokyo 

September 10, 2025 

I translated Ms. Brainard’s When the Rainbow Goddess Wept into Japanese because I wanted readers in Japan to read and feel this powerful story of war, memory, and resilience in their own language. In doing so, I hoped to create a bridge between the Philippines and Japan, two countries with intertwined histories, so that readers may reflect not only on the traumas of the past but also on the possibilities of empathy and healing. I believe such reflections are especially important in today’s world. My wish is that my translation will help foster deeper cross-cultural dialogue and understanding, and that Ms. Brainard’s moving narrative will continue to inspire strength and hope in new readers.”

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Invitation to Celebrating Translations of Cecilia Manguerra Brainard's Fiction

Oct. 17, 2025, 1 pm

Pilipinas Stage, Philippine Stand, Hall 5.1 A95 & B95

Frankfurt Book Fair

***

 When the Rainbow Goddess Wept 

A beautifully written novel in which the words flow smoothly across the pages, weaving a story that is half lyrical myth and half brutal reality. Enchanting throughout, this novel will mesmerize the reader right up until its victorious ending. ~ Booklist

 

READ ALSO

Celebrating Translations of Cecilia Manguerra Brainard's Fiction - with Press Release

Cecilia Brainard Fiction: The One-Night Stand at the Frankfurt Book Fair  

         Cecilia Brainard Fiction: After the Ascension 

#nbdb #FBM2025 #fbm25 #PHLGoh #GoH2025 #philippinesfrankfurt2025 #imaginationpeoplestheair , Japanese publisher , Japanese translation #booksJapanese

Jale Memmedova (Qanun Publishing House, Azerbaijan) - Publisher Cecilia Brainard's Foreign Translations

 

There will be a celebration at the Frankfurt Book Fair of the Foreign Translation of Cecilia Manguerra Brainard - information below. Unfortunately Qanun Publishing House will not be there, but they sent a message. Read on.

Message from Jalə Məmmədova of Qanun Publishing House

September 14, 2025

Dear Cecilia,

İ hope this email finds you well.

On the translation of Cecilia Manguerra Brainard’s novel “When the Rainbow Goddess Wept” into Azerbaijani.

The theme of war, sadly, is not unfamiliar to the Azerbaijani people; it is, rather, a wound that lies painfully close to the heart. Having endured two devastating wars in the past thirty-five years, the sensitive hearts of Azerbaijani readers will inevitably be profoundly touched by this novel. 

No matter how different traditions and ways of life may be, there are times when nations separated by vast distances are bound together by the same unspeakable tragedies – and war is one such force that unites through sorrow. At the same time, the legends and epics woven into the novel also feel strikingly familiar to Azerbaijanis. Though the themes may differ, for a people who cherish their folklore and epic traditions, figures such as Inuk and Laydan do not appear as strangers but rather as kindred spirits. 

While translating this work, one is unavoidably stirred by its emotions: Esperanza cutting her hair with a child’s innocence, the tender love between Lola Peping and Lola Beatriz, the heartbreaking loss of Ivon’s newborn brother to harsh conditions, the aching silence of Ivon waiting for news of her father – each moment lingers, rendered with such mastery and poignancy, that the novel becomes not only unforgettable but also profoundly human.

 Considering all these aspects, it is hard to label this novel as purely national; it is, in essence, universal, for the sufferings the author portrays are ones that peoples across the world have inevitably experienced, in different eras and in countless forms.


Jale Memmedova

QANUN PUBLISHING HOUSE

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Invitation to Celebrating Translations of Cecilia Manguerra Brainard's Fiction

Oct. 17, 2025, 1 pm

Pilipinas Stage, Philippine Stand, Hall 5.1 A95 & B95

Frankfurt Book Fair

***

 When the Rainbow Goddess Wept 

A beautifully written novel in which the words flow smoothly across the pages, weaving a story that is half lyrical myth and half brutal reality. Enchanting throughout, this novel will mesmerize the reader right up until its victorious ending. ~ Booklist

 

READ ALSO

Celebrating Translations of Cecilia Manguerra Brainard's Fiction - with Press Release

Cecilia Brainard Fiction: The One-Night Stand at the Frankfurt Book Fair  

         Cecilia Brainard Fiction: After the Ascension 

#nbdb #FBM2025 #fbm25 #PHLGoh #GoH2025 #philippinesfrankfurt2025 #imaginationpeoplestheair , Azerbaijan publisher , Azerbaijan translation #booksazerbaijan

Dejan Trajkoski (Prozart Media) - Publisher Cecilia Brainard's Foreign Translations

 

Dejan Trajkoski

On October 17, 2025, at 1 pm at the Frankfurt Book Fair, seven international publishers and I will gather at the Pilipinas Stage, Philippine Stand Hall 5.1 A95 & B95 to celebrate the translations they have done of my fiction.

To honor these publishers who are working hard to finish their translations for FBM25, I'm going to highlight each one of them in my blog. I'll be posting the covers of the book, in the various editions. If the featured publisher's cover isn't done yet, check back in.

Meet Dejan Trajkoski!

Dejan Trajkoski, from North Macedonia, is a publisher, writer, poet, and editor. He is the founder and director of the publishing house Prozart Media, the International Literature Festival PRO-ZA Balkan, and the Skopje Fellowship Program—the first publishing fellowship in Eastern Europe (and the only one in the region until 2021), established in 2013. His philosophical novel Infidelity has been translated into nine languages, including English, German, and Turkish. He published translations Cecilia’s When the Rainbow Goddess Wept and her Selected Short Stories.

Selected Short Stories by Cecilia Manguerra Brainard

Winner 40th Philippine National Book Award and Cirilo Bautista Prize

Finalist Gintong Aklat Award

Cover study of Selected Short Stories by Prozart Media

When the Rainbow Goddess Went 

A beautifully written novel in which the words flow smoothly across the pages, weaving a story that is half lyrical myth and half brutal reality. Enchanting throughout, this novel will mesmerize the reader right up until its victorious ending. ~ Booklist

 

  

 

READ ALSO

Celebrating Translations of Cecilia Manguerra Brainard's Fiction - with Press Release

Cecilia Brainard Fiction: The One-Night Stand at the Frankfurt Book Fair  

         Cecilia Brainard Fiction: After the Ascension 

            Celebrating Translations of  Cecilia Manguerra Brainard's Fiction

Tags:  #nbdb #FBM2025 #fbm25 #PHLGoh #GoH2025 #philippinesfrankfurt2025 #imaginationpeoplestheair

Mohamed Radi (Egyptian Office for Publishing & Distribution) - Publisher Cecilia Brainard's Foreign Translations

 

Mohamed Radi

On October 17, 2025, at 1 pm, at the Frankfurt Book Fair, seven international publishers and I will gather at the Pilipinas Stage, Philippine Stand Hall 5.1 A95 & B95 to celebrate the translations they have done of my fiction.

To honor these publishers who are working hard to finish their translations for FBM25, I'm going to highlight each one of them in my blog. I'll be posting the covers of the book, in the various editions. If the featured publisher's cover isn't done yet, check back in.

Meet Mohamed Radi!

Cairo-based Mohamed Radi translated Brainard’s three novels -- When the Rainbow Goddess Wept, Magdalena, and The Newspaper Widow -- into Arabic under the imprint of the Egyptian Office for Publishing and Distribution of Publications. Radi is the Director and Founder of the independent publishing house that has produced more than 1,000 titles by leading Arab authors and writers. It has translated more than 200 titles from various languages. 

Mohamed is vice-president of the African Publishers Network. He has worked in public service as an elected board member, held several positions as Chairman of the Media Committee of the Egyptian publishers and Secretary-General of the Egyptian Publishers Association.

When the Rainbow Goddess Wept

A beautifully written novel in which the words flow smoothly across the pages, weaving a story that is half lyrical myth and half brutal reality. Enchanting throughout, this novel will mesmerize the reader right up until its victorious ending. ~ Booklist

Magdalena 

"Expertly written by Cecilia Manguerra Brainard … Magdalena is set in the chaotic backdrop of twentieth century East Asia. A romantic, powerful tale of three generations of Filipino women, written with a close eye on the terrors of war and the Japanese invasion of the Philippines during World War II, Magdalena is an intense, involving, highly recommended saga that documents author Cecilia Manguerra Brainard as a gifted author with a mastery of storytelling that will keep the reader’s total attention and engagement from first page to last!~ Midwest Book Review

The Newspaper Widow

Finalist for the Philippines 37th National Book Award

Shortlisted for the Inaugural Cirilo F. Bautista Prize for the Novel

Cecilia Manguerra Brainard’s novel is full and complex, overflowing with textured, fully realized characters who drive the story on every page. ~Foreword Reviews

 

Cover of The Newspaper Widow by Bata Press

Cover of The Newspaper Widow by Super zolazba

READ ALSO

Celebrating Translations of Cecilia Manguerra Brainard's Fiction - with Press Release

Cecilia Brainard Fiction: The One-Night Stand at the Frankfurt Book Fair  

         Cecilia Brainard Fiction: After the Ascension 

           

Tags:  #nbdb #FBM2025 #fbm25 #PHLGoh #GoH2025 #philippinesfrankfurt2025 #imaginationpeoplestheair #Arabictranslation #Arabicpublisher #Egyptianpublisher #bookArabic

Dimitris Tsoukatos (Lemvos Editions) - Publisher Cecilia Brainard's Foreign Translations

 

 

Dimitris Tsoukatos

On October 17, 2025, at 1 pm at the Frankfurt Book Fair, seven international publishers and I will gather at the Pilipinas Stage, Philippine Stand Hall 5.1 A95 & B95 to celebrate the translations they have done of my fiction.

Unfortunately Dimitris Tsoukatos head of Lemvos Editions can't be at the Oct 17 Celebration of Cecilia Brainard's translations. 

He has this message to share:

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October 17, 2025

Good morning, friends, colleagues, and distinguished guests.

It is a great honor to stand before you today to celebrate the works of Cecilia Manguerra Brainard, and in particular to speak about Magdalena, which Lemvos Editions has the privilege to be translating into Greek.

Cecilia is one of the most significant voices in Philippine literature. Across her more than twenty books, including When the Rainbow Goddess Wept, The Newspaper Widow, and Magdalena, she explores how personal and collective histories intertwine. Her writing carries the tenderness of memory, the resilience of women, and the weight of a nation’s past.

When I first read Magdalena, I was immediately drawn into its world — a world shaped by love, loss, and the lingering effects of war. Cecilia’s storytelling is both intimate and expansive; through the lives of her characters, she speaks of the human condition in a way that feels deeply familiar, even to us in Greece. The emotions, the struggles, and the quiet courage of her women could easily belong to our own mothers and grandmothers.

I remember thinking, as I turned the last page, that Magdalena was not just a Philippine story — it was a universal one, filled with emotions and experiences that could easily belong to readers in Greece. The themes of love, loss, resilience, and the quiet strength of women resonated deeply with me. As I read, I could already imagine how Greek readers would connect with Cecilia’s prose — how vividly they would see the world she created, and how closely it would speak to their own experiences of history, love, and sacrifice. It was clear to me that this is a story that deserves to be shared in Greek.

Cecilia’s work also reflects the richness of a multilingual and multicultural reality — moving effortlessly among English, Spanish, and Cebuano, while evoking the broader connections between Asia, Europe, and America. Translating Magdalena into Greek means not only transferring words from one language to another, but also preserving that rich tapestry of voices and cultures that make her writing so distinctive.

At Lemvos Editions, we believe that translation is one of the most powerful forms of cultural dialogue. Through Magdalena, Greek readers will discover a new perspective on history and humanity — one that deepens our appreciation for the universality of human experience. In this way, translation does not only expand readership; it expands understanding.

On behalf of Lemvos Editions, I want to express my deep gratitude to Cecilia Manguerra Brainard for entrusting us with her novel, and to thank the translators, editors, and colleagues who are bringing this project to life. I also extend my appreciation to our fellow publishers and literary friends here today, who, through their work, remind us that literature knows no borders.

Let us continue to celebrate voices like Cecilia’s — voices that remind us of the enduring power of stories to connect people, cultures, and hearts across the world.

Thank you.

DIMITRIOS TSOUKATOS 

Στάλθηκε από 

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BIO: Dimitris Tsoukatos!

From Athens, Dimitris Tsoukatos, heads Lemvos Editions which published Cecilia’s novel Magdalena. With a strong background in finance, Dimitris has led the publishing house since 2015 to publish quality works from young Greek writers and it also translates important works of world literature.

Magdalena

Expertly written by Cecilia Manguerra Brainard … Magdalena is set in the chaotic backdrop of twentieth century East Asia. A romantic, powerful tale of three generations of Filipino women, written with a close eye on the terrors of war and the Japanese invasion of the Philippines during World War II, Magdalena is an intense, involving, highly recommended saga that documents author Cecilia Manguerra Brainard as a gifted author with a mastery of storytelling that will keep the reader’s total attention and engagement from first page to last!~ Midwest Book Review

 

 

READ ALSO

Celebrating Translations of Cecilia Manguerra Brainard's Fiction - with Press Release

Cecilia Brainard Fiction: The One-Night Stand at the Frankfurt Book Fair  

          Cecilia Brainard Fiction: After the Ascension 

            Celebrating Translations of  Cecilia Manguerra Brainard's Fiction

Tags:  #nbdb #FBM2025 #fbm25 #PHLGoh #GoH2025 #philippinesfrankfurt2025 #imaginationpeoplestheair #Greekpublisher #Greektranslation , Greek publisher