The book details the lifelong ups-and-downs of two best friends who meet in grade school when they both move back to Greece from other countries. (The narrator longs for her beloved Africa, Anna has been growing up in the refined atmosphere of Paris.) Like any best friends, they are also intimate rivals, a rivalry that is reignited years later when Anna reenter’s Maria’s life and basically takes over Maria’s radical political group. This mixture of Greek politics and the emotional turmoil that comes along with best friendship make this an incredible book that really does end with with a death . . .

If you’re not sold yet, here’s Gary Shteyngart’s blurb: “Flawlessly translated, Amanda Michalopolou’s WIKMBF uses the backdrop of Greek politics, radical protests, and the art world to explore the dangers and joys that come with BFFs. Or, as the narrator puts it, ‘odiodsamato,’ which translates roughly as ‘frienemies.’”

Now the tour:

Thursday, April 10th, 7pm

Hallwells
341 Delaware Ave.
Buffalo, NY 14202

Reading the World Conversation Series: Radical Politics and BFFs
Tuesday, April 15th, 6pm

Gowen Room
Wilson Commons
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Rochester, NY 14627

Wednesday, April 16th, 7:30pm

Powell’s Books on Hawthorne
3723 SE Hawthorne Blvd.
Portland, OR 97214

Friday, April 18th, 6pm

The Book Club of California
312 Sutter St
San Francisco, CA 94108

Sunday, April 20th, 3pm

City Lit Books
2523 North Kedzie Blvd.
Chicago, IL 60647

There are also events in the works at Brown University and Princeton. As soon as we have the details confirmed, I’ll post about them here and will put them in our recently resuscitated Translation Events Calendar. (If you have an event you want to add to this, simply email kaija.straumanis [at] rochester.edu.)

Both E.J. and I love Dubravka’s work (and both edited her in the past—E.J. did The Ministry of Pain at Ecco, and I did Thank You for Not Reading at Dalkey Archive. One of her greatest books is The Museum of Unconditional Surrender, which is available from New Directions) and feel fortunate that this will be our first Open Letter publication. (The book doesn’t officially release until September 26th, but we will be offering an advance special deal via this blog as soon as these arrive from the printer.)

Nobody’s Home is a great collection, and to celebrate it, we’ve put together a bit of a reading tour for Dubravka. We may still add some dates, and more details will be available on the (and our ) in the near future, but for now, here’s the current itinerary:

Tuesday, September 16th
Reading and Conversation at the URochester (Rochester, NY)

Tuesday, September 23rd
Reading at the with Breyten Breytenbach (New York, NY)

Wednesday, September 24th
Harvard Book Store at 7pm (Boston, MA)

Tuesday, September 30th
57th Street Books at 6pm (Chicago, IL)

Wednesday, October 1st
Bookslut Conversation Series (Chicago, IL)

Wednesday, October 8th
McNally Jackson (aka McNally Robinson) event with Open Letter author Bragi Olafsson (New York, NY)

Tuesday, October 14th
Conversation with Brigid Hughes of A Public Space, at Melville House Press office and bookstore (Brooklyn, NY)