Clara HD Author name truncated if separator

Francois16 · Today, 06:00 AM

Hello,
On a Kobo Clara HD. if I enter the author as "last name, first name" in Calibre, it is displayed truncated on the e-reader (only "last name")
Do you know of a way to correct this behavior ?
Thanks !!

Sirtel · Today, 07:39 AM

Kobo wants the author names to be "first name last name". That's the only way to have them behave correctly.

Francois16 · Today, 08:00 AM

Thank you for your answer, Sirtel !!
My need is actually for Kobo to display authors as "last name, first name", instead of "first name, last name", knowing that I selected sort by last name and not by first name (and the sorting by last name is correct).
And thus have consistency between display and sorting.
Is there a way to have this display ?
Thanks.

Sirtel · Today, 08:11 AM

No. Kobo interprets the comma as a separator between two different authors.

Francois16 · Today, 11:21 AM

The comma "," is the separator character for 'Name, First name'

See https://www.mobileread.com/forums/sh...72&postcount=2

Sirtel · Today, 11:46 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Francois16

The comma "," is the separator character for 'Name, First name'

See https://www.mobileread.com/forums/sh...72&postcount=2

For calibre, yes. For Kobo, it's the separator between different authors.

Francois16 · Today, 12:26 PM

OK.
So is there a way to make Kobo display "LastName FirstName" in the tab "Author" (sorted on LastName) instead of "FirstName LastName" ?
Requests to modify directly the database may be a way but not the simplest.

Sirtel · Today, 12:43 PM

I don't know of any way to do that. It's not available as a patch either.

JSWolf · Today, 04:02 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Francois16

OK.
So is there a way to make Kobo display "LastName FirstName" in the tab "Author" (sorted on LastName) instead of "FirstName LastName" ?
Requests to modify directly the database may be a way but not the simplest.

There is a way. Create a custom column that displays the author sort. See this thread on how to do it.

https://www.mobileread.com/forums/sh...d.php?t=142508

Sirtel · Today, 04:05 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by JSWolf

There is a way. Create a custom column that displays the author sort. See this thread on how to do it.

https://www.mobileread.com/forums/sh...d.php?t=142508

The OP wants it on their Kobo.

JSWolf · Today, 04:06 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Sirtel

The OP wants it on their Kobo.

No way to do that.

Today, 06:00 AM	#1
Francois16 Junior Member Posts: 5 Karma: 10 Join Date: Jun 2026 Device: Aura N514	Author name truncated if separator Hello, On a Kobo Clara HD. if I enter the author as "last name, first name" in Calibre, it is displayed truncated on the e-reader (only "last name") Do you know of a way to correct this behavior ? Thanks !!

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Today, 07:39 AM	#2
Sirtel Grand Sorcerer Posts: 15,238 Karma: 247594217 Join Date: Jan 2014 Location: Estonia Device: Kobo Sage & Libra 2	Kobo wants the author names to be "first name last name". That's the only way to have them behave correctly.

Today, 08:00 AM	#3
Francois16 Junior Member Posts: 5 Karma: 10 Join Date: Jun 2026 Device: Aura N514	Thank you for your answer, Sirtel !! My need is actually for Kobo to display authors as "last name, first name", instead of "first name, last name", knowing that I selected sort by last name and not by first name (and the sorting by last name is correct). And thus have consistency between display and sorting. Is there a way to have this display ? Thanks.

Today, 08:11 AM	#4
Sirtel Grand Sorcerer Posts: 15,238 Karma: 247594217 Join Date: Jan 2014 Location: Estonia Device: Kobo Sage & Libra 2	No. Kobo interprets the comma as a separator between two different authors.

Today, 11:21 AM	#5
Francois16 Junior Member Posts: 5 Karma: 10 Join Date: Jun 2026 Device: Aura N514	The comma "," is the separator character for 'Name, First name' See https://www.mobileread.com/forums/sh...72&postcount=2

Today, 12:26 PM	#7
Francois16 Junior Member Posts: 5 Karma: 10 Join Date: Jun 2026 Device: Aura N514	OK. So is there a way to make Kobo display "LastName FirstName" in the tab "Author" (sorted on LastName) instead of "FirstName LastName" ? Requests to modify directly the database may be a way but not the simplest.

Today, 12:43 PM	#8
Sirtel Grand Sorcerer Posts: 15,238 Karma: 247594217 Join Date: Jan 2014 Location: Estonia Device: Kobo Sage & Libra 2	I don't know of any way to do that. It's not available as a patch either.

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