I checked with my publisher, who informs me that the book has been purchased for translation by publishers in the following countries.
ITALY Codice
SPAIN Editorial Critica
PORTUGAL Edicoes tinta-da-china
JAPAN Nikkei Business Publications
PEOPLE’S REPUBLIC OF CHINA KeAi Communications
ISRAEL Books in the Attic
POLAND Proszynski i Ska
TURKEY Plame Yayinevi
and a deal with Korea (Eulyoo Publishing Company) was struck today.
In response to some readers’ comments, I have absolutely no control over how these publishers design the cover, retitle the book, or quality-check the translation!
Woo Israel!
Not sure I can really afford the time to add yet another book to my reading list 🙁
Woo for Turkey too! They need more ammo to fight against Harun Yahya’s nonsense.
That’s great news.
With regards to the Chinese translation of the title, it says “Why believe Darwin”, and is phrased as a question. Even if we allow Darwin=evolution, the meaning is quite far off the original, which is not a question.
Sorry to hear authors don’t have any say in this.
Without a question mark, the title actually is closer to “The reasons to believe Darwin”. It is not phrased as a question. (But if it is said, not written, the title is ambiguous.)
I would not have expected Sweden to be on the list, since English is taught from such an early age there that I’d imagine that anyone interested would just buy the original version.
But with that as a preface, it’s interesting that France and Germany are not on the list. Does this mean that they have become more accommodating(!) to English than say 20yrs ago, or is it just a coincidence?
As a reflection of that, it used to be that Sweden presented foreign films in whatever the native language was and subtitled them in Swedish, while Germany dubbed them to German. What’s the current status on that?
Otherwise, I hope Eulyoo isn’t an arm of Moon’s publication operations!
I would not have expected Sweden to be on the list
And it isn’t, so…?
That was the preface.
As far as I’m aware the Germans still prefer dubbing to subtitles. Swedes on the whole certainly prefer subtitles. Occasionally things like Futurama have also been shown on Swedish TV without subtitles late at night for the benefit of those who find them annoying (more of an issue with a cartoon with many little details than with your average sitcom).
But as far as books go, many people would still prefer to read books in Swedish. I wouldn’t, but I know at least a couple of people who’d be likely to buy WEIT only if it were translated.
The dubbing situation is still the same. Everything, and that means absolutely everything, is dubbed in German. Most Germans I know don’t speak three words of English.
We’re headed that way here in the Netherlands as well. All childrens’ television is dubbed here nowadays, and one can hear the grades plummeting.
Thanks, Carl, rob,
As I expected, there’s a real need for German and probably French translations. Sorry to hear that the Netherlands is following the example of their closer neighbors. (This should NOT be construed to mean that I think the whole world should adopt English.)
In response to some readers’ comments, I have absolutely no control over how these publishers design the cover, retitle the book, or quality-check the translation!
Why don’t you? Isn’t that something you could have negotiated for in your contract?
Now we have to go out and learn each of those languages so we can read those copies. Do you have any idea how long it will take to learn all those?
Yay! Turkey.
(You really should get someone to check that translation before publication. Just in case. Sorry to be paranoid – I really don’t want to insult the hardworking translators of this world.)
I heard the Turkish translation will be done by a Guy named Adnan Oktar.
At least it wasn’t Harun Yahya.
P.S. Yes that’s a joke.
Quoted for truth.
Congratulations, Jerry. This is amazing.
Congratulations! I think WEIT is an excellent book, and so I’m not surprised to see its success continue to grow.
On a less grand note, my wife was just invited to do a reading of one her fiction stories in London later this month. (We’re still a long way from having her book published in multiple languages in many countries, though.)
Hey congrats!
Thanks.
On a related note: I was in a US bookstore today (a Borders) and noticed that the US WEIT edition is about twice the bulk of the UK one.
And Dawkins’ US edition of TGSOE is maybe 2/3 of the bulk of its UK version.
I was surprised to see different printings of the same books come out such different sizes.
Anyway, get both books (no matter the size) if you don’t have them already.