Nothing whets my appetite for travel quite like reading. Generally, my choice of travel destination has been influenced by my reading habits: Obsessed with Flann O’Brien and Celtic myth? Ireland, Scotland, Wales. Reading Jose Saramago and Fernando Pessoa? A pilgrimage to Portugal. Immersed in Bohumil Hrabal? Beat a path to Bohemia.
On occasion, I travel to regions whose literature is not readily available here in North America. The Dalkey Archive Press is working to remedy that problem. Through their new Best European Fiction anthology series (2010 and 2011 available) they provide access to authors from regions not often represented by English language publishers. Indeed, have you ever read anything by a Moldovan, a Montenegran, or a Cypriot? Neither have I. But I intend to remedy that as soon as my special order for these anthologies arrives at the bookshop.
As well, Dalkey Archive Press has embarked upon a new National Literature Series, giving us a sampling of longer works of literature. Currently, there are titles available in the Hebrew, Slovenian, and Catalan series. I feel a trip coming on.
The Wandering Bibliophile 