Amazon has announced AmazonCrossing, “which will introduce readers to emerging and established authors from around the world with translations of foreign language books, making award-winning and bestselling books accessible to many readers for the first time.”

The premiere title, The King of Kahel, is an award-winning novel by Tierno Monénembo. Originally published in France in 2008, The King of Kahel was the winner of the prix Renaudot, the French literary prize awarded to the author of an outstanding original novel. Loosely based on the life of French adventurer Olivier de Sanderval, the novel traces his experiences as an explorer in West Africa.

The translator is Nicholas Elliott, shown in photo.

Read all about it here.