What was your greatest professional success so far?
People often say success is a journey, not a destination and I tend to agree. For me, success has been creating Asterisc Agents, working with a team I deeply value, and opening doors for Catalan literature abroad. And moreover, being able to share the knowledge I’ve built over the years with students of the Master’s in Publishing, as well as with fellow professionals internationally — like in this very case. Coming to Prague and sharing my experience with Czech publishers has been a truly rewarding experience.
When it comes to Czech literature, which authors or titles have you come across recently?
It’s hard to choose without inevitably leaving someone out. I’m not an expert, but my introduction to Czech literature was, of course, through Czech authors translated into Catalan: Kundera, Hrabal (probably one of my favourites), Čapek, Hašek. I mention this because, naturally, it wasn’t up to me to decide which Czech authors to read first — that was the publishers’ choice. They are the channel, the open window inviting readers to discover new voices. By following the publishers I trust, I more recently discovered Viktorie Hanišová with Reconstruction. And of course there’s Kafka, although his case is complex because of the question of literary language. My father translated into Catalan Letter to His Father, so Kafka has always been very present at home. We have several editions of his works.
During your recent visit to the Czech Republic for a seminar, did any particular book catch your attention. And why?
On my last visit I spent a couple of hours in two large bookstores – one in Brno and the other in Prague. Without being able to read Czech, what I did was look for the different publishers, both the ones I knew and the ones I didn’t. The kinds of books they publish – even though I’m an agent and try to keep up with what publishers are doing, it’s always much harder to get a sense of that just from a website. I was very impressed by the printing quality: the finishes, the bindings. I knew that the Czech Republic has a reputation for excellent printers, but even so, it surprised me. In the end, I picked up well printed books for my students and a small book The Gardener’s Year by Capek brothers as my souvenir from this trip.
Succeeding with a Czech title, especially in major markets, remains quite challenging. Do you have any advice on how to increase the chances of success?
Czech literature is known all over the world and enjoys a good reputation, but we’re probably talking about the classics. In Catalonia we have a Czech by adoption, the writer and translator Monika Zgustova, who has contributed a lot to spreading Czech literature in both Catalan and Spanish. Sometimes a good ambassador can really do an excellent job of promoting literature. What’s probably missing now is convincing international publishers of the quality of contemporary Czech literature. The classics are wonderful, but there’s a new generation of writers who are doing very well and they need to know. At Asterisc Agents – and now I’m going to give you a little scoop– (she smiles when she says that) we hope to contribute to this promotion into Spanish, Catalan, Portuguese, Basque and Galician since we’ve just signed an agreement with the Pluh agency and will be representing their authors’ works. We’re very happy about this new collaboration and we hope it will be a success!
What specific elements do you focus on when presenting books to foreign publishers?
Oh, that’s a very complex question and it has many answers. In fact, I usually need at least four hours – that’s how long my workshop lasts. You’ll have to attend it next time if there is any, haha!
Which genres and themes currently have the best chances of success internationally? What sells best?
Here I’ll resort to clichés, because I think every country has different realities, even though there’s a clear global standardization that makes us all more alike. But, as always, genre fiction is easier to sell because it’s easier to explain and has steady readers that might be increasing. When you have a literary work that is excellent but doesn’t have a clear plot, and the only thing you can say is “It’s amazing, but you have to read it to understand it,” that’s a problem. The pitch is fundamental when selling, and high-quality literature can’t really be explained. How do you explain a poet? But it seemed to me that in the Czech Republic there’s a lot of interest in fantasy (and all its subgenres) as well as crime and horror fiction. What also caught my attention was humor. In that, I think you’re quite original – although humor doesn’t travel well! Also, illustrated children’s books work well, and increasingly, nonfiction books in which children learn while being entertained.
Is it possible to succeed internationally without a literary agent nowadays? What would you advise a Czech author who is looking for a qualified international literary agent?
Yes, it’s possible to succeed without a literary agent. In fact, it would be impossible to have agents for every writer. When there’s no agency involved, I’d recommend finding a publisher that takes good care of its authors’ international rights and promotes their translation. Sometimes a small publishing house with an enthusiastic editor who makes an effort to promote the books abroad is better than a larger one that might pay better advances but publishes so much that don’t have time to work on your text internationally. For me as an agent, it would be difficult to work with a Czech author because I don’t read the language, nor do I have sufficient cultural or literary background from the country. So I couldn’t really assess what I had in my hands; I couldn’t discuss with them issues of style, plot, context... it would be very difficult. And this is exactly what I do with the authors I work with. I understand that some authors might be drawn to the idea of an international agent, but ideally they should work with someone who knows what they do and can guide them in their professional career. I think it’s important to foster the creation of more agencies in the country and to build a strong conviction that it can work. Asterisc Agents is a clear example: we work exclusively with Catalan writers who write in Catalan, a minoritized language with a relatively small potential readership. And yet, here we are, working and exporting our authors to readers all over the world.
The interview with literary agent Carlota Torrents was conducted by Karolína Tomečková.