About

What is ambos?

ambos is an online magazine of Quebec literature in translation. We also publish English-language reviews of French-language books, essays, and whatever else fits.

Why write in English about French-language Quebec literature?

ambos is an English-language showcase for literature from Quebec: somewhere readers, publishers, and translators will come to find out more about what’s just been translated, what’s going to be translated, and what should be translated.

Who is ambos for?
ambos is above all a lovingly curated space for English-speaking readers to discover French-language writing from Quebec. Our focus on translation will broaden the conversation on Quebec literature and help bring new books to the attention of readers, writers, and publishers.

What does ambos publish?
All content on ambos is in English. Our aim is to tell people about all the great books being published in French in Quebec. We do this primarily by publishing translations: excerpts of forthcoming books or work translated specifically for us. We also post plain-speaking reviews of French-language books and essays on Quebec literature, translation, and related subjects.

What does “ambos” mean?
Since we live between two languages, French and English, we wanted a name that was neither. “Ambos” means “both” in Spanish. Our name and our symbol, ≈, “approximately equal to,” suggest that as translators we have a foot in each camp and a heart in both. ≈