The Cahiers Series is published in association with The Center for Writers & Translators at the American University of Paris. The goal of this series is to make available new explorations in writing, in translating, and in the areas linking these two activities.


Cahier 9
Notes from the Hall of Uselessness,
Simon Leys

Simon Leys, novelist, unflinching cultural and political commentator, Sinologist, and occasional illustrator, presents here timely meditations on the experience and hazards of literary translation. Preceding his essay are observations on everything from demented tyrants to musical geniuses who gain insights from vacuum cleaners. Written with wit and concision, this cahier offers English-language readers a chance to get to know a writer who is renowned for his wisdom and insight as much as he is for his linguistic and literary expertise.