With so many incredible releases in English, we tend to forget that there are foreign books that are just as good. And we don’t want to miss out on those books either. That is why we have curated a list of the best translated books of 2025. Keep reading to find out which books you need to check out!
In today’s age, we are lucky to be able to get translated works released soon after. in the past, many works of literature wouldn’t get a translation unless there was demand for it on an international scale. And that is not the best way to decide which books should get a translated version.
There are many works that might not do well at home but might resonate a lot more with an international market. Unless an international novel wins an award, we won’t be hearing about it otherwise. But in this article, we will try to get ahead of the curve.
This list of translated novels are amazing works that you will love. From award winning authors to fresh names, this list has it all. You can see the full list below!
The Best Translated Books of 2025
- We Do Not Part by Han Kang, translated by e yaewon and Paige Aniyah Morris
- On the Calculation of Volume I and II by Solvej Balle, translated by Barbara J Haveland
- The Director by Daniel Kehlmann, translated by Ross Benjamin
- Money to Burn/ The Devil Book by Asta Olivia Nordenhof, translated by Caroline Waight
- Sololand by Hassan Blasim, translated by Jonathan Wright
The first novel on the list is We Do Not Part by Han Kang. If you recognize that name, it’s because Kong won the 2024 Nobel Prize in Literature. Her newest novel might be even better according to critics and it may end up winning awards of its own when it’s all set and done.
If you love time travel books, the you will enjoy reading On the Calculation of Volume I and II by Solvej Balle. The protagonist is stuck reliving the same day over and over. The books touch on themes of philosophy and will keep you entertained till the last page. And it is the first two of seven books that are set to release in the near future.
The Director is set in the 1930’s and is about a filmmaker named GW Pabst. He returns to Europe to tend to his sick mother but when war breaks out in Austria, he finds himself stuck there. But he still wants to make films and can but only with the Nazi’s overseeing his work. I know I will be reading this books after that blurb.
Maybe you only want to travel as far back as the 1990s. In Money to Burn/ The Devil Book, we had to Scandinavia for a book about a possible insurance scam that killed 159 people. We hear about the passenger and all of their different stories. The stories are loosely related but there may be a link between them that the reader has to figure out.
In Sololand, we head to a post-war Iraq with three novellas that combine darkness and humor. One novella is about Islamic State fighters asking for Viagra while another is about a library with books covered in blood from IS killing on the floor above. They aren’t light reads but war is never going to be easy to consume no matter the format.
Conclusion
These are the best translated books of 2025 and I can’t wait to read them. They book blurbs are interesting and pique my curiosity. I have been read more translated works and have enjoyed them a ton. We are lucky that we a lot of books are translated in record time for us to read.
What I love about translated works is being able to see another country through the lens of someone that grew up there. They know the geography, customs, and a million other things because that is their home. You can feel the love that the authors have for their country.
I will be adding these translated works to my reading list and can’t wait to read them. There’s a good chance a few of them might end up winning awards in a couple of months. Until next time, happy reading!
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