DEAR FRIEND,
Stories don’t just live on the page: they connect people, spark conversation, and bridge cultures. In 2024, you helped CAT amplify our impact—and the impact of the stories we tell. We launched new projects and forged new partnerships to bring translated literature into new spaces, creating even more opportunities for dialogue, discovery, and communitybuilding. Recent collaborations have set the stage for ambitious initiatives to come.
At a time when the values underpinning our work— multiculturalism, connection, community, and openmindedness—are under attack, your generosity has enabled us to reaffirm our commitment to diverse voices and crosscultural exchange. And you’ve done much more than that. Your support has allowed us to focus on our mission and extend our reach. Every year our books and live events bring ever greater audiences into contact with international writers and translators, and our educational programming offers more and more students insight into poetry, translation, identity, and heritage. CAT is determined to embolden this and future generations to contribute to culture in new ways, deepen our comprehension of global interconnectedness, and lead us on a path toward increased equity.
We are deeply grateful to you for making this possible. Together we are ensuring that literature continues to introduce new and transformative ideas, inspire complex conversations, broaden perspectives, and nurture our sense of belonging.
With heartfelt gratitude,
MICHAEL HOLTMANN, PRESIDENT
BRIDGING CULTURES ONE STORY AT A TIME
“ CAT SPREADS . A LOVE OF LANGUAGES & CULTURES AMONG PEOPLE WHO MIGHT NOT HAVE AN OBVIOUS WAY INTO
THE PUBLISHING .WORLD.”
AARON ROBERTSON AUTHOR & TRANSLATOR
A SPACE FOR CONVERSATION AND CONNECTION
Your support drives innovative programming, including our partnership with The Center for Fiction in Brooklyn to present the 2024 Day of Translation, which sparked bold conversations on translation’s impact. This event—along with our broader lineup of event programming—creates space for new ideas, amplifies global literary voices, and connects communities through language, pushing the boundaries of what translation makes possible.
From left to right, critic and translator Lily Meyer with author-translators Jennifer Croft, Idra Novey, and Bruna Dantas Lobato during the “Fiction and Translation” panel at the 2024 Day of Translation
The collaboration with The Center for Fiction has shown us exciting new ways to engage audiences with translation—from an online book club to dynamic multimedia events in the Bay Area and nationwide. By exploring new forms of literary presentation like City of Asylum’s Jazz Poetry series in Pittsburgh, we’re making translation more immersive, accessible, and relevant, ensuring that more people can experience the power of literature across time, culture, and borders.
"Typography and Translation" panel at the 2024 Day of Translation
“ THIS DAY OPENED PARTS OF MY MIND I DIDN’T KNOW WERE CLOSED. AND IT’S WHY I’LL KEEP COMING TO CAT EVENTS IN THE FUTURE.”
EVIE 2024 DAY OF TRANSLATION ATTENDEE
BOLD BOOKS, BIG IMPACT
Thanks to your support, we can continue to take risks on writers and books that might not find a home elsewhere— and in 2024, that risk paid off. The Calico Series, dedicated to experimental and innovative work, captivated readers with Through the Night Like a Snake: Latin American Horror Stories, while Woodworm, a gothic tale by Layla Martínez, saw record-breaking success. Both books tapped into the growing demand for innovative horror, landing on The New York Times “Best Horror Fiction of 2024” list and breaking sales records. Their success proves that readers are eager for bold, boundary-pushing literature—and your generosity makes it all possible.
Woodworm marked best-selling Spanish author Layla Martínez’s introduction to English-language readers, earning a National Book Award nomination. Through her book tour, we gave audiences the chance to engage with her work firsthand and deepen their connection to her bold, gothic vision.
Another standout in 2024 was Through the Night Like a Snake, which became our best-selling Calico title ever!
“ A POTENT CONSIDERATION OF INHERITED TRAUMA AND THE ELUSIVENESS OF JUSTICE. ”
WOODWORM / THE NEW YORKER
“ A THOUGHT-PROVOKING PORTRAIT OF A FRAUGHT FAMILIAL AND COLONIAL HISTORY. ”
OFF-WHITE / PUBLISHERS WEEKLY
“ MASTERFULLY EXPLORES THE PAIN AND HURT OF BEING HUMAN. ”
IXELLES / THE CHICAGO REVIEW OF BOOKS
“ HARROWING…AN UNSETTLING LOOK AT ONE MAN’S MORAL DRIFT. ”
CELEBRATION /
KIRKUS REVIEWS
“ THERE ARE POEMS HERE I WOULD PRINT, FOLD, AND TUCK INTO EVERY ENGLISH-SPEAKING POCKET. ”
CIGARETTES UNTIL TOMORROW / ALINA STEFANESCU
EMBRACING NEW FORMATS
When Oakland-based Cuentero Productions approached CAT about creating audio soundscapes of Two Lines Press titles— bringing the written word to life and reaching new audiences— we knew it was an opportunity we couldn’t pass up. In 2024, we launched an exciting partnership to produce the first of what we hope will be many immersive multimedia experiences. Our debut production at the Brava Theater in San Francisco was a haunting live performance of “Soroche,” a short story by Ecuadorian author Mónica Ojeda (translated by Sarah Booker and Noelle de la Paz) from our best-selling Calico title Through the Night Like a Snake: Latin American Horror Stories.
Bay Area actors performed
The event introduced a new way to experience translated literature. The packed house garnered attention from local news outlets, who raved about the “high-altitude horror” production that spoke to “the psychological horrors of flawed friendships and everyday hypocrisies that lurk beneath the surface of our relationships.”
"Soroche" actor Laura Ubaté before the live reading
PRAISE FOR THROUGH THE NIGHT LIKE A SNAKE
“These stories—relentlessly unsettling as they are—serve as a fantastic introduction to a growing movement that’s bound to enrich, and help diversify, speculative fiction for years to come.”
GABINO IGLESIAS, THE NEW YORK TIMES
“This eerie selection of exciting contemporary voices is sure to keep readers up at night.”
PUBLISHERS WEEKLY
One of the Most Anticipated Books of 2024 “A weird, unsettling, and beautiful collection.”
LITERARY HUB
TAKING EDUCATION FURTHER
Thanks to your support, we expanded the impact of the Poetry Inside Out cross-cultural poetry and translation curriculum through a new partnership with the School District of Philadelphia, giving more students the opportunity to explore their linguistic heritage and develop a deeper connection to language and learning. Your generosity also made it possible to collaborate with university professors and introduce hundreds of college students to Two Lines Press books and authors, broadening their understanding of literature. By increasing access to essential writers and inviting new perspectives on global voices, we’re enriching classrooms and expanding the conversation around literature and translation for readers of all ages.
60 PARTICIPATING TEACHERS 15 TEACHING FELLOWS
1600+ K-12 STUDENTS REACHED
800+ UNIVERSITY STUDENTS REACHED
“In 30 years of professional development, this is in my top three ever. The work is fascinating, and I am so looking forward to diving into it with my ESL students.”
PHILADELPHIA TEACHER AND POETRY INSIDE OUT WORKSHOP PARTICIPANT
Poetry Inside Out students translating a poem.
CREATING OPPORTUNITY
In 2024 we expanded and deepened the impact of our work in exciting new ways. Through our partnership with UK publisher Peirene Press on the Stevns Translation Prize, we provided vital publication opportunities for an emerging translator, while region-specific calls for submissions helped amplify voices from less-translated languages. Your support helped create new connections and opportunities that will shape the future of literary translation—both on and off the page—for years to come.
48 WORKS PUBLISHED
24,770 BOOKS SOLD
48 EVENTS 4,039 ATTENDEES 131,350 READERS REACHED
COMPARED TO 2023 THAT’S A 25% INCREASE IN BOOK SALES AND 17% INCREASE IN EVENT ATTENDEES
164 WRITERS & TRANSLATORS SHOWCASED
7 EMERGING TRANSLATORS FEATURED
11 ENGLISH LANGUAGE DEBUTS
9 LANGUAGES
14 COUNTRIES
“CAT GIVES A VOICE TO LITERATURE THAT MAY HAVE OTHERWISE GONE UNHEARD… IT’S GREAT TO SEE AN ORGANIZATION OFFER THE OPPORTUNITY TO SEE OTHER NEW PERSPECTIVES AND LEARN ABOUT OTHER CULTURES THROUGH THEIR LITERATURE.”
SUNY BINGHAMTON STUDENT
57 60% WOMEN WRITERS & TRANSLATORS 30% WRITERS & TRANSLATORS OF COLOR
WRITERS & TRANSLATORS PUBLISHED
THANK YOU. TOGETHER, WE TAKE TRANSLATION FURTHER.
Your continued support enables CAT to broaden our impact by finding new and innovative ways to advocate for the translation field and share translated literature with an everexpanding community.
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@TWOLINESPRESS