26th February, 2026 in Restless Books

From Savagery by Alejandra Banca and translated by Katie Brown

“And for a fraction of a second, I see her. Lasme is lying face down on a quilt, Farid on top of her, totally naked, grotesque. Lasme has something in her mouth, I don’t know what it is, maybe a rag, but her mouth is swollen and open, she doesn’t make a sound. I see the tears on her cheeks, for a fraction of a second, we make contact, but she doesn’t seem to be there.” Through this haunting quote, the short story collection, From Savagery, by Alejandra Banca and translated by Katie Brown, captures the precarious lives of Venezuelan migrants in Barcelona through twelve interconnected stories. The stories that stayed with me most were “Lasme” and “Euroloco,” which embody the book’s emotional intensity and chaotic energy. Together they highlight the collection’s restless momentum, revealing how displacement, survival, and fleeting connection shape the characters’ everyday lives. Banca’s charged writing balances brutality with moments of vulnerability and human connection.