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Bilingualbooks.ie - Virtual Launch of Strange Fruit 10.07
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Strange Fruit
My book of short stories entitled Strange Fruit, was first published in English in 2007 and is now available as an English - Spanish version 2019, an English - French version 2019, and an English - Irish version 2021.
The stories commence with glimpses of an Irish childhood, moving on to the delicate balancing act of the grown up world. Then suddenly predictability crashes, and unlikely situations ensue.
Anne Murphy
An Irish Author Living in Kilkenny
Contact anne@bilingualbooks.ie
In order to improve my fluency I used to buy the same book in English and the equivalent in French or Spanish -a slow and expensive way to learn Fast forward to the horizontal highs of viewing two languages side by side. Returning from travels to Ireland in March 2020 sooner than expected due to the pandemic, a number of people at Bordeaux–Mérignac Airport highlighted the difficulties of accessing literature in their own language whilst living abroad.
all images courtesy of Ann Moloney, Artist, Limerick
Why Bilingual? Why Not?
The possibilities for friendship and new horizons are endless
‘The decision to learn a foreign language was an act of friendship, of an awakening, a holding out a hand’ John le Carré, Author
A Happy Coincidence
Just as translations for my English-Spanish book were underway courtesy of Almudena, a friend and neighbour, I returned from my first trip to Lanzarote. It seemed a far cry from Spain as I didn’t hear any Spanish spoken except at the reception desk. Typically I went to the hairdressers as it was a dull day in Kilkenny and the plan was in place to go to The French Film Festival in Cork the following day. On my return home I chanced to turn on RTE Radio 1 and I heard a young woman called Gabrielle talking to Ray D’Arcy. She was looking for a house swap in Kilkenny for a few months so that she could see if she, her Valencian husband and two children could try out living back in Kilkenny where she had grown up ; she could combine the chance of using her degree in architecture by seeking employment in her field of interest. This was a chance for both of us not to be missed – I went to Valencia for four months and explored bilingual books sales there while she got her dream job in a fine architectural business situated literally in a field 20 minutes from my home .
I returned on 10th November 2019 and within two months I had booked a home share in France by placing an ad in the French equivalent of daft.ie. I met comedian Bernard O’Shea on the train dressed in full waiter costume and serving me a small bottle of Cabernet Sauvignon, en route to Perpignan with my English –French editions of Strange Fruit, my collection of short stories in my small travel case.
Many students have come and gone from my home over the years. While I was in France a young Spanish woman called Cristina was living in my house having commenced her new job in animation. She had found me on daft.ie and was nicely settled in before I left for France. I knew she was to be married in her home town of Toledo on 14th March and warned her of the likely challenges of returning via Dublin city centre on St Patrick’s Day but the dates were set and her flights were booked. By Friday 13th everything seemed to change with Covid 19. I wondered that evening while in the supermarket in France, if she could possibly have flown that day to Madrid and didn’t know if anything had gone to plan until my own rushed return home on 18th March. A long story short, the new bride had arrived safely back in Kilkenny on St. Patrick’s Day. We ended up quarantining at the same time! Some honeymoon it must have been for young Cristina. Her ‘honey’ Pablo was still in Spain and remained so until May. What could we do only wine and dine in international fashion and share our tales of the unexpected.
The Man Who Liked To Smell Books
My trip to France, all of 16 days instead of four months, included some not to be missed experiences including a chance encounter with the man who liked to smell books.
‘Raphael suggested a little display of magic. He explained that he could distinguish old books from new, while blindfolded. When travelling to France I brought three old books, all written in French. I was determined to improve my French during these four months in Perpignan! The old books included. L’homme qui plantait les arbres by Jean Giono, Lettres de Mon Moulin by Alphonse Daudet and Salut Galarneau! by French Canadian Jacques Godbout
The new books included a book of poetry entitled Thinking Allowed published in 2007 and bilingual short stories Strange Fruit originally published in 2007 and translated into French and English into Spanish in 2019 by Irish author Anne Murphy.
The challenge of distinguishing new from old didn’t seem a difficult one to me but he did succeed and we applauded royally.
