As we anticipate the World Day for Cultural Diversity for Dialogue and Development on May 21, it’s the perfect time to reflect on and celebrate the wide array of cultures, identities, and perspectives that shape our world. One meaningful way to engage is through reading—specifically, by exploring stories that originate outside the English-speaking world.
Here are 13 books by non-English authors that deserve a place on your bookshelf.
Fiction: 8 Powerful Works of Imagination and Insight
1. The Alchemist by Paulo Coelho (Portuguese – Brazil)
Originally published in Portuguese in 1988, The Alchemist is a philosophical novel that has since become one of the most widely translated books in history. The story follows Santiago, a young Andalusian shepherd who dreams of discovering a treasure hidden in the Egyptian pyramids. Along the way, he encounters a series of characters—a king, a crystal merchant, an Englishman, and an alchemist—each guiding him in the pursuit of his “Personal Legend.”
At its core, the novel emphasizes listening to one’s heart, recognizing opportunity, and finding meaning in the journey as much as the destination. While deceptively simple in style, its spiritual and motivational themes have had lasting resonance across cultures. Brazilian author Paulo Coelho, once a songwriter and theater director, brings his own experience of spiritual awakening to the narrative, offering readers a deeply personal but universally relatable message.
2. The Shadow of the Wind by Carlos Ruiz Zafón (Spanish – Spain)
Published in 2001 as part of The Cemetery of Forgotten Books series, The Shadow of the Wind is a compelling blend of gothic mystery, historical fiction, and literary drama. The novel begins in post–civil war Barcelona, where a young boy, Daniel, discovers a mysterious novel by Julián Carax in a secret library. Fascinated, he sets out to learn more about the author, only to uncover a chilling pattern: someone has been systematically destroying every copy of Carax’s books.
The story gradually unfolds into a tale of lost love, political corruption, and betrayal, mirroring the larger turmoil of mid-20th-century Spain. What makes Zafón’s writing so impactful is his evocative prose and ability to craft atmospheric, character-rich storytelling. Before his passing in 2020, Zafón had become one of the most read Spanish authors in the world, with his work translated into more than 40 languages.
Purchase The Shadow of the Wind
3. My Brilliant Friend by Elena Ferrante (Italian – Italy)
My Brilliant Friend, first published in 2011, is the inaugural volume of Elena Ferrante’s four-part Neapolitan Novels. The book introduces Elena Greco and Lila Cerullo, two girls growing up in a poor neighborhood on the outskirts of Naples in the 1950s. Through decades of change—from childhood through adolescence and into adulthood—Ferrante explores their evolving friendship against a backdrop of socioeconomic struggle, gender expectations, and political shifts in post-war Italy.
Ferrante, whose true identity remains unknown, has become a literary icon for her unflinching exploration of female psychology and social pressure. Her anonymous status has only amplified her impact, shifting attention toward the work itself and away from the cult of personality. My Brilliant Friend received widespread acclaim for its honesty, emotional intensity, and insight into the intimate yet often conflicted dynamics between women.
For those seeking deeply personal and psychologically layered books by non-English authors, Ferrante’s novel offers a gripping, emotionally raw narrative that feels both intimate and universal.
4. The Three-Body Problem by Liu Cixin (Chinese – China)
A groundbreaking entry in the science fiction genre, The Three-Body Problem was first published in Chinese in 2008 and later translated into English by Ken Liu in 2014. The novel begins during the Chinese Cultural Revolution, where a secret military project makes contact with an alien civilization on the brink of collapse. Decades later, scientists on Earth are mysteriously dying, and a virtual reality game hints at a larger, more threatening intergalactic conspiracy.
Liu Cixin, an engineer by training, merges complex physics, philosophical questions, and grand-scale storytelling in ways rarely seen in the genre. His work has brought Chinese science fiction to international prominence, earning him the distinction of being the first Asian author to win the Hugo Award for Best Novel.
What sets The Three-Body Problem apart is its ability to navigate the technical with the emotional, examining what it means to be human when faced with forces far beyond comprehension. Its translation marked a pivotal moment in global literature, proving that speculative fiction from non-English cultures could not only compete with but enrich the genre’s most ambitious narratives.
Purchase The Three-Body Problem
5. One Hundred Years of Solitude by Gabriel García Márquez (Spanish – Colombia)
First published in 1967 and widely considered a cornerstone of Latin American literature, One Hundred Years of Solitude chronicles the multi-generational saga of the Buendía family in the fictional town of Macondo. Through lyrical prose and surreal, magical elements, Gabriel García Márquez captures the cyclical nature of history, the loneliness of leadership, and the fragility of memory. Each generation repeats the mistakes of the previous one, blurring the boundaries between reality and myth, the personal and the political.
Márquez, a Nobel Prize-winning author, played a crucial role in popularizing magical realism—a literary style that blends fantastical elements with grounded social and political commentary. His work redefined how stories from Latin America were perceived globally and opened the door to reach wider audiences.
For readers interested in sweeping narratives that challenge and move them, this novel remains a vital work for its exploration of cultural legacy, family, and the illusions of progress.
Purchase One Hundred Years of Solitude
6. Kitchen by Banana Yoshimoto (Japanese – Japan)
Published in 1988, Kitchen is a quietly powerful novella that follows a young woman named Mikage as she copes with grief following the death of her grandmother. Through the metaphor of the kitchen—a place of comfort, identity, and survival—Banana Yoshimoto explores themes of loss, love, and the unconventional bonds that carry us forward.
Yoshimoto’s writing style is minimalist, emotionally resonant, and refreshingly modern. Her work helped introduce a younger, more introspective voice into contemporary Japanese literature and gained international recognition for its accessibility and emotional honesty. With understated storytelling and rich internal monologue, Kitchen portrays how everyday moments can carry profound emotional weight.
7. Signs Preceding the End of the World by Yuri Herrera (Spanish – Mexico)
This 2009 novel, translated into English in 2015 by Lisa Dillman, tells the story of Makina, a young woman crossing the U.S.-Mexico border to deliver a message to her brother. But this is no typical migration narrative. Drawing on mythological structure and poetic language, Herrera reimagines the border crossing as a descent into the underworld. Each section of the novel represents a spiritual or symbolic passage, echoing classical epics while rooted in the urgent realities of modern migration.
Yuri Herrera is known for his spare, lyrical prose and ability to compress vast social and political meaning into brief, powerful stories. In Signs Preceding the End of the World, he speaks to displacement, cultural erosion, and survival in a voice that’s both timeless and immediate.
Purchase Signs Preceding the End of the World
8. The Master and Margarita by Mikhail Bulgakov (Russian – Russia)
Written during Stalin’s oppressive regime but published decades later, The Master and Margarita is a biting satirical novel that critiques Soviet bureaucracy, atheism, and literary censorship. The story jumps between two main settings: 1930s Moscow, where the Devil (in the guise of a foreign professor) wreaks havoc, and ancient Jerusalem, where Pontius Pilate confronts his moral failures.
Bulgakov blends fantasy, political allegory, and religious reflection in a work that defies easy classification. While it’s technically a novel, its political subtext and allegorical critique make it deeply rooted in real-world commentary. It’s a literary response to authoritarianism, composed in secret and edited over years as the author struggled with censorship and declining health.
Purchase The Master and Margarita
Non-Fiction: 5 Books That Bridge History, Philosophy, and Social Commentary
9. The Book of Tea by Kakuzō Okakura (Japanese – Japan)
Originally published in 1906, The Book of Tea is a beautifully written essay that uses the Japanese tea ceremony as a lens to explore aesthetics, culture, and philosophy. Although composed in English by Japanese scholar Kakuzō Okakura, the text serves as a bridge between Eastern and Western thought during a time of rapid modernization and cultural shift in Japan.
The book goes beyond the origins of this classic beverage staple—it’s about art, humility, impermanence, and harmony. Okakura discusses how tea culture intersects with architecture, gardening, ceramics, and even politics. His goal was to correct Western misunderstandings about Asian traditions and elevate the subtlety of Japanese art forms in a time when they were often overlooked.
10. Persepolis by Marjane Satrapi (French – Iran)
Persepolis is a groundbreaking graphic memoir that recounts Marjane Satrapi’s coming of age in Iran during and after the Islamic Revolution. First published in French in 2000 and later translated into numerous languages, the book uses stark black-and-white illustrations to convey deeply personal and political experiences. Through the lens of a young girl, Satrapi reflects on issues of identity, gender, repression, and cultural conflict.
What makes Persepolis so impactful is its ability to make complex historical events accessible without sacrificing nuance. It balances humor, sorrow, and reflection, offering a humanizing perspective on a country often reduced to headlines.
11. I Am Malala by Malala Yousafzai (Urdu – Pakistan)
Co-written with Christina Lamb and originally published in 2013, I Am Malala tells the remarkable story of Malala Yousafzai, who was targeted and shot by the Taliban for advocating for girls’ education in Pakistan.
The memoir blends personal history with global political realities. Malala recounts her upbringing in the Swat Valley, her family’s support for education, and her growing activism that eventually garnered international attention.
The book is not only an inspiring personal narrative but also an urgent call for universal education and women’s rights. Malala’s voice is clear, courageous, and deeply principled. Her story encourages readers of all ages to consider the value of education, the cost of silence, and the importance of standing up for what one believes.
12. Night by Elie Wiesel (French – Romania)
Originally published in French in 1956, Night is Elie Wiesel’s harrowing memoir of surviving the Holocaust. At just fifteen years old, Wiesel was deported with his family to Auschwitz and later Buchenwald. The book chronicles his experiences of suffering, loss, and spiritual desolation, written in a hauntingly spare and restrained prose style.
Wiesel went on to become a Nobel Peace Prize laureate and a vocal advocate for remembering atrocities to prevent future genocides. Night is widely regarded as one of the most important works of Holocaust literature, notable for its emotional honesty and unflinching confrontation with horror.
As a foundational work by a non-English author whose voice shaped 20th-century historical memory, Night serves as both a testimony and a warning. Its inclusion in this list emphasizes the role of literature in preserving the dignity of those who endured and in educating future generations.
13. Letters to a Young Poet by Rainer Maria Rilke (German – Austria)
This slender but powerful collection of ten letters was written by Rainer Maria Rilke in the early 1900s in response to a young aspiring poet’s request for feedback. In these deeply philosophical and poetic missives, Rilke explores the nature of creativity, solitude, love, and personal growth. Originally written in German and later translated into many languages, the book has inspired artists, writers, and thinkers for over a century.
Rilke’s reflections go beyond mere writing advice; they serve as meditations on how to live authentically and attentively in a world full of noise. His gentle yet profound counsel encourages readers to embrace uncertainty and introspection—a message that remains strikingly relevant today.
As one of the most reflective and spiritually resonant books by non-English authors, Letters to a Young Poet offers a timeless companion to anyone navigating their inner life. It’s a thoughtful inclusion in this list, highlighting the emotional and intellectual insights that can emerge from cross-cultural literary exchange.
Purchase Letter to a Young Poet
Start Reading From Non-English Authors Today!
During National Diversity Awareness Month, taking the time to read internationally celebrated authors helps reaffirm the value of linguistic and cultural plurality. And while this list is a starting point, there’s so much more to explore—including these powerful titles for Black History Month.
At Lioness Books, we celebrate diverse voices and stories from around the world, offering a thoughtfully curated selection of titles to inspire and connect.
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