Unusual Fragments

“Strange in evocative and enticingly varied ways, these previously untranslated treasures are each a little pocket universe of the eerie and uncanny, places in which to get deliciously lost.”
—Alexandra Kleeman, author of Something New Under the Sun

“Wonderful and provocative. For fans of contemporary Japanese fiction, it’s a must-read.”
—Publisher’s Weekly, starred review

“The stories of Unusual Fragments, including work by Yoshida Tomoko, Nobuko Takai, and other seldom translated writers from the same ranks as Abe and Dazai, comb through themes like alienation and loneliness, from a storm chaser entering the eye of a storm to a medical student observing a body as it is contorted into increasingly violent positions.”

—The Millions, Most Anticipated: Great Winter Preview

‘This is an amorphous collection, in which the only certainty is chaos. Age, size, gender and sexuality are in flux, and these characters — who seem to be contorting more than acting on their will — are archetypal protagonists of weird fiction. . . . Four of the five authors are women, the other queer, and gendered institutions form the bedrock through which strangeness grows.”

—NewPages

“These short stories are written by award-winning, ‘under-translated’ 20th century Japanese authors. The stories feel much like contemporary American horror stories, where settings and characters morph from “normal” to psychologically disturbing and otherworldly. Perfect for those who like horror in small doses.”

—Kay Wosewick, Boswell Book Company

Praise for the Calico Series

“These Calico books are a total joy, both in form and in content. The books come in a curious trim size (or rather a couple curious trim sizes, although I think they’ve stabilized in their square format now after a few larger-sized volume) that fits nicely in the hand and every single one of them promises a wealth of discovery for the internationally-curious reader: Ukranian poetry, Swahili fiction, queer Brazilian stories, Latin American horror, and so much more.”

—Lit Hub, “A Small Press Book We Love”

“Unbelievably exciting…These are poems to read and reread, repeating the lines as though they were a secret between yourself and the page.”
—The Paris Review on Home: New Arabic Poems

“This eclectic bilingual anthology from queer Brazilian writers, both living and dead, is as expansive and full of life as the country itself…enticing and poignant.”
—Publishers Weekly on Cuíer: Queer Brazil

“Visible approaches translation as an act that occurs not only between languages but also between media and disciplines…Thoughtfully curated…Past and present come together in a refreshingly collaborative spirit.”
—Brooklyn Rail on Visible

“An absorbing sampler of the literary feast available in Africa’s most widely spoken language, No Edges should leave readers eager to discover more Swahili writers.”
—Shailja Patel, author of Migritude, on No Edges

“For the women highlighted in this collection, the act of writing is one of critical defiance that gives voice to voiceless women and, further, engages in the creation of a redefined Caribbean femininity that defies patriarchal or colonial coercion.…Elektrik is translation operating as good translation should: as a megaphone for writers who might otherwise remain unheard in the Western canon.”
—Barrelhouse on Elektrik

Additional Materials

• “Unusual Fragments: Japanese Stories review,” Asian Review of Books
• Unusual Fragments Reader’s Guide
• Request an Exam or Desk Copy