Publisher's Weekly Analysis 2009
German Remains One of the Most Translated Languages
Positioning itself as a leader in nonfiction, German literature continues to make inroads into the American market, having represented 9 percent of overall translations and 19 percent of translated nonfiction in 2009. Though nonfiction numbers were without a doubt impressive, success was tempered by losses in the crucial categories of fiction and children’s, in which German represented 8 percent of translations. Most notable, and perhaps most alarming, was the loss in children's: in 2008, 50 percent of all translated children’s books had German as their original language.
Despite seeming to lose some statistical ground, German has remained securely in the top five translated languages, following consistent chart toppers French and Spanish. Still, this year’s list wasn’t without its surprises. Barely trailing German in terms of overall translations, Swedish managed to surpass German in the category of fiction for the first time since we began our analysis in 2004.
While the number of translations continues to be disconcerting, the fact remains that it could have been worse. Despite a harsh economic downturn and industry in transition, the overall number of reviewed translations remained at around 4 percent.
Enticing choosy American buyers may not get any easier in 2010, but those who realize the need for quality translated literature in the United States will no doubt continue to try.
Note: Findings, including all percentages, are based only on those books reviewed in Publisher's Weekly in 2009. Results do not account for any translations which may have went unrecorded.
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