[Wulfa_Jones]

Now I know from this site and others that people in non-English speaking countries do read fantasy novels but from what I’ve read from their posts its always books from an English speaking country i.e. UK, USA, Australia.

But are the fantasy novels written in other countries that we never hear of in the English speaking countries because they’ve never been translated or even released? I imagine some countries would have a strong myth based background that could be great to “borrow” ideas from for Fantasy based novels.

Also are their any fantasy books out there with a real strong sense of a different culture… Of course fantasy books are nearly always set in a different world but they never really feel that alien to me and always feel quite westernised.

I don’t think I’ve made myself very clear in this… but I hope people get the gist of what I am trying to say anyway!

[KatG]

From what I've understood from our friends in the non-English European countries, fantasy is seldom accepted as a form of fictional literature and there's not much of a native market for even the English fantasy works. There may be some countries where that is not the case, such as Russia. We've also got quite a few members in India who've indicated a more active market there.

[Rob B]

Nimea, where are you?

Seriously, I think Germany does have a good readership of FSF. Wasn't The Neverending Story originally written in German?

[Nimea]

Well, here I am, Fitz. :) Should be sleeping really, but can't.

Yes, The Neverending Story was originally written in German (by Michael Ende). Just as current stuff by Cornelia Funke (Inkheart, Lord of Thieves).

It's funny that this topic comes up again, which I think is very good. With again I mean that I started a similar thread once, many moons ago. You can find it here (http://www.sffworld.com/forums/showthread.php?t=6384) - some things might have changed. For sure parts of what I wrote there did. But not that much. Overall I think in Germany the situation got worse and better at the same time. ;)

Oh, and while at it, this thread (http://www.sffworld.com/forums/showthread.php?t=8721) might be interesting as well.

For now I will try to sleep again. Need to get up and off to work in about three and a half hours. :rolleyes:

:)

[cat]

From what I've understood from our friends in the non-English European countries, fantasy is seldom accepted as a form of fictional literature and there's not much of a native market for even the English fantasy works.

Yes...sadly it is so...in Italy at least...
Not only I can't think of any Italian fantasy writer, but there is almost no market for fantasy at all...There was only one editor publishing fantasy and it closed almost 10 years ago...In the last year it has come back to activity but they are only publishing old stuff :mad:

[Fader]

In S. Korea nearly ALL fantasy is geared towards younger audiences. Serial fantasy books are very popular here, but they are definitely intended for younger readers. Telling the adults here I read fantasy brings about nothing but funny looks and misunderstandings of my reading tastes/ability.

[Wulfa_Jones]

Thats interesting... anyone know the situation in countries like Norway? Scandinavin (spelling I know...) is one area that I figured would have quite a strong following, espcially since alot of fantasy has been inspired by their myths and legends.

I didn't want to be sterotypical but I could never see fantasy doing well in countries such as France or Italy because they always seem to be very proud (and so they should be) of their cultural history and modern culture in refernce to art and literature. No offense to other countries intended but they alway seem, in the sterotypical way of course! :)

[Phedre]

Here in Holland there is a reasonably number of fantasy authors. But they never get translated into english. Maryson, Peter Schaap, Wim Gijsen, and a few new ones: Thomas Olde Heuvelt, Alex de Jong. There's also almost an underground world of Dutch fantasy writers. Known to a small group of readers.

And I just don't think the quality of writing is that good (Mithfanion, don't hit me!!).

There is a lot of succesful Dutch crime here, actually (no, not crime, like on the streets, but books about crime).

Ah, whatever, I've given up on Dutch books, I almost never read in Dutch, unless the original language isn't english. I mean, I just can't read French and German that well.

The sort of fantasy written here is not very different from UK/US books. There's not a typical dutch folklore being used often, at least, I can't think of one. Actually, do we have our own myths? In the region I live in, there's the 'Hellehond' (Helldog). And The 'Witte Wieven'...

[Beleg]

Fantasy, as a genre in Pakistan is almost solely targetted at young-adults and children in my experience, and for that there's quite a big market, second only to crime/thrillers and erotica [which also features some fantasy aspects].

And of course there are the folklores.

[Archren]

I hear that South America is producing some very interesting fantasy (and to a lesser extent, SF) authors at the moment, and that Ursula K. LeGuin has been helping to translate some of them into English. I think I read that in Locus many moons ago. Has anyone else heard of stories and/or authors from that region?

I think that some fantasy stories coming from Latin America are billed as "Magical Realism" instead of fantasy and marketed as maintream literary works.