For my second post of the day I’m pleased to welcome you to my stop on the blog tour for You Shall Leave Your Land by Renato Cisneros. Thank you to Jessica from Charco Press for the invitation and for allowing me to share a spotlight post of this book with you today.
About the book:
‘Cisneros is a phenomenon in Latin America today.’ – Jesús Ruiz Mantilla, El País (Spain)
Nineteenth century Peru. A clandestine affair between a young woman, Nicolasa, and her priest which leaves her raising seven children alone and, more than a century later, a great-great grandson searching for answers.
On a quest to wring information about his origins from his family, whose own foibles match the adventures and dalliances of their ancestors, Renato Cisneros, a descendant of this illicit affair, unpicks the life of progeny Nicolasa, whose story is tied to key moments in Peru’s pursuit of independence.
In this bestselling prequel to his award-winning memoir, THE DISTANCE BETWEEN US (Charco Press, 2018), Peruvian journalist and broadcaster, Renato Cisneros once again explores his complex and intriguing roots to discover long-held secrets of recalcitrant relatives. YOU SHALL LEAVE YOUR LAND, translated by award-winning translator Fionn Petch and published by Charco Press, is released in the UK on 31 January 2023.
Praise for Renato Cisneros and The Distance Between Us:
‘A book so intelligent and moving, you wish it would never end”
Libération (France)
‘No one that reads this book will be able to look at their family in the same way again.’
Gabriela Wiener
WINNER OF THE PRIX TRANSFUGE DU MEILLEUR ROMAN DE LITTÉRATURE HISPANIQUE
LONGLISTED TO THE PRIX MÉDICIS 2017
FINALIST OF THE SECOND VARGAS LLOSA BIANNUAL AWARD
About the author:
Renato Cisneros (Lima, 1976) is a well-known journalist, broadcaster and writer in Peru, where he presents current affairs programmes on radio and TV. Having published several books of poetry and two novels, in 2015 he stepped back from his career as a broadcaster to fully concentrate on his writing. His subsequent novel, The Distance Between Us, has sold over 35,000 copies in Peru alone and has been lauded in the Peruvian and international press.
It was shortlisted for the Second Mario Vargas Llosa Biannual Award, longlisted for the Prix Médicis (2017) and was the winner of the Prix Transfuge du Meilleur Roman De Littérature Hispanique (2017). A prequel, Dejarás la tierra is already a bestseller in Spain and Latin America. Renato Cisneros now lives in Madrid.
About the translator:
Fionn Petch is a Scottish-born translator. He lived in Mexico City for 12 years, where he completed a PhD in Philosophy at the UNAM, and now lives in Berlin. His translations of Latin American literature for Charco Press have been widely acclaimed. Fireflies by Luis Sagasti was shortlisted for the Translators’ Association First Translation Award 2018. The Distance Between Us by Renato Cisneros received an English PEN Award in 2018.sA Musical Offering, also by Luis Sagasti, was shortlisted for the Republic of Consciousness Prize 2021 and won the UK Society of Authors Premio Valle Inclán 2021 for best translation from Spanish.
About Charco Press:
Charco Press is an award-winning independent publisher of top-quality contemporary Latin American literature in translation.
Shining a light on the rich array of fiction currently coming out of Latin America, Charco Press brings the region’s most exciting contemporary writers to new readers in the English-speaking world, publishing books that are entertaining, engaging and thought provoking. Charco Press meticulously seeks out the perfect translators to bring their authors’ work to life for English readers, often championing new and emerging translators, as well as established names.
Launched in 2017, Edinburgh-based Charco Press has already achieved international recognition, with one book longlisted and two shortlisted for the International Booker Prize, and the publishing house being named Scotland Small Press of the Year 2019 and 2021 at the Nibbies. Marking its fifth birthday in 2022, Charco Press has recently launched an English-first series, ‘Untranslated’, embracing texts by English-speaking authors linked to Latin American culture, as well as its first Spanish-language OriginalES editions. In 2022 they also launched their Charco Essays series, starting with Untold Microcosms, a collection of essays in collaboration with the British Museum and Hay Festival.
You Shall Leave Your Land by Renato Cisneros is available to purchase now.
Cal Turner Reviews 