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Laura Macaulay
Laura Macaulay joined Pushkin Press as Deputy Publisher in 2016, and acquires fiction and non-fiction across the imprints Pushkin Press, the Pushkin Collection, Pushkin Vertigo and ONE. She’s a member of the English PEN Literature in Translation committee. She worked as a bookseller for many years and in non-fiction editorial at Hodder & Stoughton. Laura was previously Publisher at Daunt Books Publishing, a list she established with James Daunt in 2010. She most recently published Mirror, Shoulder Signal, by Danish literary sensation Dorthe Nors, which was shortlisted for the International Man Booker Prize.
What made you interested in publishing?
I worked as a bookseller for several years and I loved reading and talking books with customers on the shop floor. I loved the thrill of discovering a great book, and working out that special alchemy of cover, words and mood that would persuade someone to take it home and absorb it into their life. I soon wanted to step behind the scenes of the bookshop and work directly with authors to help create that magic myself. So I moved into publishing.
What are the main things your job involves?
Reading, mostly reading.
Which new projects or titles are you working on at the moment?
I’ve just acquired the beautifully written Among the Living and the Dead by Inara Verzemnieks – in which she tells the complex and conflicted story of her family and how they survived the Second World War and its aftermath in Latvia. It’s a terribly moving story of separation and homecoming.
What is your most recent discovery that we should all watch out for?
A fantastically original debut by the Finnish author Pajtim Statovci – My Cat Yugoslavia. It’s about a man who fled Kosovo as a child refugee and his struggle to reconcile his various identities in his new home. And it features an almost Bulgakov-like talking cat. We’re publishing in September.
What does your role as member of the English PEN Literature in Translation committee entail?
As a member of the committee we support the English PEN staff with all their important translation activities, and most importantly, we decide which projects receive the PEN Translates and PEN Promotes grants. These grants can make a huge difference for publishers wanting to work with literature in translation and contribute to the diversity of the UK book scene.
What was the last book that really impressed you?
Aside from books I’ve acquired myself! Megan Hunter’s The End We Start From is a small jewel of a novel, and surprisingly funny for a dystopian nightmare. And I thought Ghachar Ghochar by Vivek Shanbhag and translated from the Kannada by Srinath Perur was a miniature masterpiece.
What are you reading right now?
Having just got back from a trip to Israel, I’m reading My Promised Land by Ari Shavit – it’s a wise and brilliant book about the triumph and tragedy of Israel.
Do you have a favourite Spanish speaking author?
I don’t think I’ll ever get over the brilliance of Jorge Luis Borges.
What tips can you give to a Spanish publisher or agent wanting to promote their authors for publishing in the UK?
Be selective about which titles you send to UK publishers and make sure they’ll work in our market. And try to provide at least a small sample translation if you can – I know it’s an expense but it helps to have a flavour of how the book will work in English.
Why do you think translations are less common in the UK than in other European countries and how do you see the future of publishing in translation in the UK?
That’s a huge question! I think we’ve always been spoiled by the plethora of English language writers around the world, and as English is such an international language we’re less outward-looking than other countries. But there have always been hugely sucessful translated books published in the UK and I hope we’ll continue to see many more.