An interpreter has come to The Hague to escape New York and work at the International Court.

She’s drawn into simmering personal dramas. Her lover, Adriaan, is separated from his wife but still entangled in his marriage.

Her friend Jana witnesses a seemingly random act of violence, a crime the interpreter becomes increasingly obsessed with as she befriends the victim’s sister.

And she’s pulled into an explosive political controversy when she’s asked to interpret for a former president accused of war crimes.

She is soon pushed to the precipice, where betrayal and heartbreak threaten to overwhelm her, forcing her to decide what she wants from her life.

Published by Penguin Books Australia

Released August 2022

After reading and being impressed by Audition, I was keen to read more by Katie Kitamura, and I’m certain I heard about Intimacies via Julia Gillard’s bookclub, where it was highly praised. I’m here to heap more praise upon it now, because this novel is brilliant.

Set in The Hague, our protagonist is a translator at the International Criminal Court. The title of the novel encompasses the essence of the story so perfectly. Within the court, the role of a translator is pivotal, as the majority of those on trial do not speak the language of the court, or even of their defence lawyers. The translator becomes their ears, and their voice, creating an intimacy between the two that is incredibly important and also, given the nature of the crimes that are tried at the International Court, incredibly harrowing.

I found this a fascinating exploration of a career I’d not given much thought to, but its importance, globally, cannot be understated. The story also pokes a bit at the International Criminal Court as a prop for Western Imperialism. The themes are big, but the story itself is, as the title suggests, intimate. I loved this one and I’m looking forward to reading all of Katie Kitamura’s backlist. She is a force.