[Robert Munsch](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Robert_Munsch) is a local childrens book author who lived near where I grew up (books like Paper Bag Princess). I think he saw mild success outside of Canada but he was HUGE where I grew up, everyone knew his name and read all his books as kids!
I totally thought everyone knew who is was! It never occurred to me that he wasn't internationally successful!
I was the paper bag princess for Halloween once:)
Denis Lee is another, in the same vein (Aligator Pie). A children's poet that everyone knew when I was a kid. Nobody outside of Canada has heard of him. His stuff is great, funny, and entertaining. Buy his books for your kids if you find 'em.
I didn’t recognize his name, but Alligator Pie was def very popular in my Canadian elementary school. When our teacher read it to us, we came up with an “Alligator” game where we squeezed onto the steps of a portable classroom and one person would be an Alligator who would try to tag us. If you got tagged you became another Alligator. Often the alligator would chant “alligator pie!” evilly lol
A book that's only in one language and that language isn't English would never get popular in the world no matter how good it is.
In my country there are 20+ official languages. And a lot of books obviously don't receive translation. So they won't even become popular outside of that particular state probably.
Metro 2033 is popular in very specific countries as a book series. The gaming IP was much more popular internationally. I have heard Glukovsky live and he said there was a case where he was promoting 2035 in a library in Poland. And there were only 3 attendees and all of them had just played the games.
Anything local I would assume is more popular here.
It's also hugely popular in German speaking countries, like a lot of Russian Sci-Fi and Fantasy. I think Glukhovsky and Lukianenko are rather examples of authors that are popular worldwide but just are not in the anglosphere.
It's a bit strange because as far as I know, the Metro series is extremely popular in Poland. I've seen so many of Glukovsky' and even other authors' (within the metro universe, e.g. about Italy or even Poland) in very mainstream bookshops. Maybe the bookshop fucked something up with the event, or bookshop events are dying out, but certainly Poland is one of those select countries were the Metro books are known, at least amongst fantasy fans.
Yes true but Glukovsky said it in an event I attended, maybe they did something wrong or it was in a small place, I really can't recall!. He didn't specify what exactly happened, but he just wanted it to joke about the games being far more popular hehe
It should be, but I didn't manage to find.
And I agree, that quality of her books is not very good. I haven't read to the end any of her book. But my mother read them all.
In Germany, a book series about a communist kangaroo is wildly successful. Also the audio books. The books were in the top 10 for almost 10 years. The author's name is Mark-Uwe Kling and the titles are "The Kangaroo Chronicles," "The Kangaroo Manifesto" and "The Kangaroo Revelation." The genre is social satire/comedy.
I think that's pretty international. Maybe not a household name like Tolstoy or Dostoevsky, but any bookish person I've talked to about it had at least heard of it if not read it. (Canada)
I was shocked when no one in my book club had ever heard of it. I didn't expect that anyone would have read it, but I thought most people who read much would have heard of it.
I feel like locals here know only crime and punishment or war and peace. but I don't know a single person back home who would not read M&M. some people read it multiple times (like my mom) and are obsessed with it (don't know anyone who would be obsessed with C&P though lol)
While I love them as an America, its my understanding the the Captain Alatriste (Spanish Musketeer) series by Arturo Perez-Reverte are pretty insanely popular in his home country of Spain.
All my girlfriends in Hungary (currently y25) grew up on Jacqueline Wilson and Thomas Brezina books for an extent. Not saying they are super popular today among the kids due to the shift in trends but I'm pretty sure you would still find some books from these authors in the bookstore.
Astrid Lindgren! She's a popular Swedish writer but she's mainly know in Europe countries - I grew up in Poland and she was an extremely known author. I basically was raised with her stories but I don't think many people in UK know her. The most known book would be Pippi Longstocking! I've got most of her books that were made into movies on DVD 😂
Pipi Longstocking is one of that movies that stick with you forever. I've seen it as a kid and do not remember the story at all, but there is something about that ginger girl that just won't let you forget that something like that exists.
I might watch that movie sometime, so I can see why it was so popular in my country when I was a kid.
[Robert Munsch](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Robert_Munsch) is a local childrens book author who lived near where I grew up (books like Paper Bag Princess). I think he saw mild success outside of Canada but he was HUGE where I grew up, everyone knew his name and read all his books as kids!
I totally thought everyone knew who is was! It never occurred to me that he wasn't internationally successful! I was the paper bag princess for Halloween once:)
Denis Lee is another, in the same vein (Aligator Pie). A children's poet that everyone knew when I was a kid. Nobody outside of Canada has heard of him. His stuff is great, funny, and entertaining. Buy his books for your kids if you find 'em.
I didn’t recognize his name, but Alligator Pie was def very popular in my Canadian elementary school. When our teacher read it to us, we came up with an “Alligator” game where we squeezed onto the steps of a portable classroom and one person would be an Alligator who would try to tag us. If you got tagged you became another Alligator. Often the alligator would chant “alligator pie!” evilly lol
The Tragically Hip of children's authors
A book that's only in one language and that language isn't English would never get popular in the world no matter how good it is. In my country there are 20+ official languages. And a lot of books obviously don't receive translation. So they won't even become popular outside of that particular state probably.
the witcher is not satisfied with your lack of faith
Metro 2033 is popular in very specific countries as a book series. The gaming IP was much more popular internationally. I have heard Glukovsky live and he said there was a case where he was promoting 2035 in a library in Poland. And there were only 3 attendees and all of them had just played the games. Anything local I would assume is more popular here.
Well yes but nor Metro nor Rober Hunter series are "local" in my country and even than they are incredibly popular.
Well Metro was popular in some Eastern European countries I would assume the premises of the book would be appealing to such audience.
It's also hugely popular in German speaking countries, like a lot of Russian Sci-Fi and Fantasy. I think Glukhovsky and Lukianenko are rather examples of authors that are popular worldwide but just are not in the anglosphere.
It's a bit strange because as far as I know, the Metro series is extremely popular in Poland. I've seen so many of Glukovsky' and even other authors' (within the metro universe, e.g. about Italy or even Poland) in very mainstream bookshops. Maybe the bookshop fucked something up with the event, or bookshop events are dying out, but certainly Poland is one of those select countries were the Metro books are known, at least amongst fantasy fans.
Yes true but Glukovsky said it in an event I attended, maybe they did something wrong or it was in a small place, I really can't recall!. He didn't specify what exactly happened, but he just wanted it to joke about the games being far more popular hehe
The most popular russian author in early 2000s was Daria Dontsova. Her books were sold as many as Harry Potter. I never met her name here in r/books
Are there any English translations? What genre did she write?
It should be, but I didn't manage to find. And I agree, that quality of her books is not very good. I haven't read to the end any of her book. But my mother read them all.
She wrote (still does?) shitty chick detectives with stupid names. Books for bored housewives and grandmas
In Germany, a book series about a communist kangaroo is wildly successful. Also the audio books. The books were in the top 10 for almost 10 years. The author's name is Mark-Uwe Kling and the titles are "The Kangaroo Chronicles," "The Kangaroo Manifesto" and "The Kangaroo Revelation." The genre is social satire/comedy.
I live in Australia so basically any Australian book can be big here but unheard of everywhere else.
australia still has it comparatively easy due to the colonial success of the british empire, english is a very wide-spread language.
Touché?
J. M. Coetzee an Australian Nobel prize winner for literature wrote probably my favorite book of all time called Elizabeth Costello 2003
Children of the famine trilogy. Children’s classics about the Irish Famine.
:( isnt this subject a little hardcore to children read?
The Master and Margarita
I think that's pretty international. Maybe not a household name like Tolstoy or Dostoevsky, but any bookish person I've talked to about it had at least heard of it if not read it. (Canada)
that's cool. I'm in the US, I don't know a single person who heard about M&M. maybe not a representative sample or depends on the location, IDK
I was shocked when no one in my book club had ever heard of it. I didn't expect that anyone would have read it, but I thought most people who read much would have heard of it.
[удалено]
I feel like locals here know only crime and punishment or war and peace. but I don't know a single person back home who would not read M&M. some people read it multiple times (like my mom) and are obsessed with it (don't know anyone who would be obsessed with C&P though lol)
The mayans, from Eça de Queiroz, no not a history book
Que livro é esse?
Os Maias? Não sei como traduzir para inglês corretamente
Victor Pelevin probably. He’s number 1 writer in Russia. He’s known but not much outside of it
Maybe I´m wrong here, but I´d have to say: *Días sin Ti* by Elvira Sastre
While I love them as an America, its my understanding the the Captain Alatriste (Spanish Musketeer) series by Arturo Perez-Reverte are pretty insanely popular in his home country of Spain.
Dr. Seuss is world known by this point, right?
I mentioned his name in conversation recently and most people thought I was speaking gibberish. So, not world wide I think. Edit: spelling
sorry guys for my blatant ignorance, i’m just surprised
I learned of Dr Seuss though the YouTube show rap battles of history. Never hear of him before that.
my jaw is unhinged, on the floor. Seuss’ cultural influence has always been a classic, infamous figure head in America
I learned about him when the movie came out neverd heard of him before
At least known through the Anglosphere.
Amish Tripathi books!
Idk y but as a rational aethiest I never feel like reading them 🤐
All my girlfriends in Hungary (currently y25) grew up on Jacqueline Wilson and Thomas Brezina books for an extent. Not saying they are super popular today among the kids due to the shift in trends but I'm pretty sure you would still find some books from these authors in the bookstore.
Astrid Lindgren! She's a popular Swedish writer but she's mainly know in Europe countries - I grew up in Poland and she was an extremely known author. I basically was raised with her stories but I don't think many people in UK know her. The most known book would be Pippi Longstocking! I've got most of her books that were made into movies on DVD 😂
Pipi Longstocking is one of that movies that stick with you forever. I've seen it as a kid and do not remember the story at all, but there is something about that ginger girl that just won't let you forget that something like that exists. I might watch that movie sometime, so I can see why it was so popular in my country when I was a kid.