Our translated fiction expert, Laura Garcia Moreno, is back with her latest selection of fiction from around the world. Read on to see what gems she has uncovered this month…

Living Things by Munir Hachemi (tr. by Julia Sanches). Four young men set out from Spain for a summer of work in France, hoping that working will enrich their artistic dreams. Instead, they find themselves trapped in dehumanising jobs—factory lines, slaughterhouses, campsite living—and confronted with the harsh realities of class divides and exploitation. Written in an unsettling autofictional style, Living Things captures the disillusionment of artistic ambition when faced with the brutal conditions of physical labor. Hachemi’s sharp observations and unflinching honesty leave a lasting impression with this punk striking debut that resonates with anyone who has ever questioned the value of work.

They Fell Like Stars From the Sky & Other Stories by Sheika Helaway (tr. by Nancy Roberts). This stunning collection of short stories gives voice to Palestinian Bedouin women as they navigate displacement, tradition and the fight for self-determination. These stories are personal and they shine a light on the quiet rebellion and resilience of these characters, making it a heartfel exploration of love, identity and cultural constraints. Written with emotional depth and vivid imagery, this is an unforgettable tribute to voices too often unheard.

Journeys and Flowers by Merce Rodoreda (tr. by Nick Caistor & Gala Sicart Olavide). Split into two parts, this brilliant collection offers an intoxicating mix of surreal landscapes and poetic symbolism. Journeys takes readers into dreamlike, otherworldly places filled with beauty and unease, while Flowers imagines intricate lives for delicate blooms, each revealing deeper truths about humanity. Rodoreda’s lyrical prose invites readers to reflect on resilience, fragility and our connection to the natural world. This is a deeply imaginative and moving work from one of Catalonia’s literary greats.

Eurotrash by Christian Kracht (tr. by Daniel Bowles). A man collects his 80-year-old mother from a mental institution in Zurich and the pair set off on a madcap road trip across the Swiss Alps. As mother and son confront their family’s dark history – their wealth built mostly on Nazi plunder and devious schemes – they decide to give their money away to ease their consciences. But that doesn’t prove as easy a task as they might have thought… Provocative, darkly funny, and surprisingly moving, this comic novel about serious stuff, by the great Swiss writer of his generation, is a great read for fans of Bret Easton Ellis and Karl Ove Knausgård. (Reviewed by Tom Mooney)

Troll by Johanna Sinisalo (tr. by Herbert Lomas). A young man rescues an injured troll—a mythical creature from Finnish folklore—and brings it into his home, but the strange relationship that unfolds is far more than he bargained for… As Angel navigates his deep sensual connection with this wild, magical being, the novel explores loneliness, eroticism, power and humanity’s uneasy coexistence with nature. Mixing Nordic mythology with modern urban life, Sinisalo creates a story that’s darkly funny, provocative and utterly unique. A must-read for those who enjoy speculative fiction with a touch of the surreal, reminiscent of Jeff VanderMeer or Margaret Atwood.

The Vortex by José Eustasio Rivera (tr. by Daniel Hahn & Victor Meadowcroft). This Colombian classic was written over 100 years ago and it has been translated again. Set in the untamed Amazon rainforest during the brutal rubber boom, this book follows a chauvinistic poet-turned-drifter as he encounters greed, betrayal and environmental destruction. Combining adventure with biting social critique, Rivera vividly depicts the chaos of the jungle and the exploitation of its land and people. It’s a tragic tale of doomed love and human folly, as relevant now as when it was first published. A cornerstone of Colombian literature, The Vortex is essential to understand the literary landscape of the time.