Sociologies of Poetry Translation: Emerging Perspectives

Description

While the sociology of literary translation is well-established, and even flourishing, the same cannot be said for the sociology of poetry translation. Sociologies of Poetry Translation features scholars who address poetry translation from sociological perspectives in order to catalyze new methods of investigating poetry translation. This book makes the case for a move from the singular 'sociology of poetry translation' to the pluralist 'sociologies', in order to account for the rich variety of approaches that are currently emerging to deal with poetry translation. It also aims to bridge the gap between the 'cultural turn' and the 'sociological turn' in Translation Studies, with the range of contributions showcasing the rich diversity of approaches to analysing poetry translation from socio-cultural, socio-historical, socio-political and micro-social perspectives. Contributors draw on theorists including Pierre Bourdieu and Niklas Luhmann and assess poetry translation from and/or into Catalan, Czech, English, French, German, Italian, Russian, Slovakian, Spanish, Swahili and Swedish. A wide range of topics are featured in the book including: trends in poetry translation in the modern global book market; the commissioning and publishing of poetry translations in the United States of America; modern English-language translations of Dante; women poet-translators in mid-19th century Ireland; translations of Russian poetry anthologies into modern English; the translation of Shakespeare's plays and sonnets in post-colonial Tanzania and socialist Czechoslovakia; translations and translators of Italian poetry into 20th and 21st century Sweden; modern European poet-translators; and collaborative writing between prominent English and Spanish poet-translators.

Jacob Blakesley is a University Academic Fellow in World Literatures and Co-Director of the Centre for Dante Studies, at the University of Leeds, UK.

This book inaugurates a highly original and very welcome perspective on the sociology of poetry translation. It brings together long-standing experts and promising talents through the discussion of a set of sociological frameworks that shed new light on some of the most relevant issues of poetry translation, and covers a broad range of periods, areas, translators and languages from all over the world. * Lieven D'hulst, Professor of Francophone Literature and Translation Studies, KU Leuven, Belgium * This absorbing collection of essays gives powerful critical momentum to the developing sociological study of poetry translation. Its distinguished contributors provide searching, eye-opening explorations of the varied socio-ideological forces at work in the translation of poetry - market forces, publishing politics, the shifting credentials of languages, the social 'complexions' of translators - an altogether fascinating revelation of translation's hidden underside. * Clive Scott, Emeritus Professor of European Literature, University of East Anglia, UK * Jacob Blakesley brings together a collection of inspiring essays which discusses a broad body of poetry from both cultural and sociological perspectives. Transcending geopolitical and geohistorical borders and drawing on cross-disciplinary methodologies, the volume considerably expands the breadth and depth of the research of poetry and importantly contributes to shaping the emerging field of a sociology of poetry translation. * Michaela Wolf, Associate Professor of Translation Studies at the University of Graz, Austria * This book is an immensely useful addition to the field of poetry translation studies. It takes an incisive, innovative sociological eye to an exciting area of translation, firmly placing poetry translation in its cultural and social context. The sociological terrain is expertly mapped out in Jacob Blakesley's overview introduction, and is explored in a series of compelling case studies and surveys by leading literary-translation scholars. * Francis Jones, Professor of Translation Studies, Newcastle University, UK *