The Poetics of Self-translation

The Poetics of Self-translation explores the well-attested phenomenon of writers translating part of their own work, underscoring its growing significance in the history of translation and literature. Drawing on established literary and translation research, this book reveals its underlying logic, grammar, or “poetics,” with a focus on how writers self-translate, rather than why or with what consequences.

Through an impressive range of examples from Europe, the Americas, Africa, and Asia, Grutman illustrates the global practice and the varied perceptions of contemporary literary self-translation. The book adopts a comparative approach, highlighting what distinguishes self- from third-party translations: their potential for bidirectionality (where source and target languages switch sides) and consequent feedback, the narrowing time gap between the original and translated work, and insider knowledge of the initial text that allows authors to actively shape their so-called “second originals.” In this analysis, Grutman recognises the ambiguity of self-translation, noting that these distinctive features mostly occur when self-translation is a sustained activity in a writer’s career. In most cases, self-translators intervene within the range of more conventional translation practices. With this nuanced and balanced perspective, the study reaffirms the interconnection between translation and self-translation and how each enriches our understanding of the other.

Comprehensive and engaging, this book is a valuable resource for students and researchers of literary and translation studies.

Rainier Grutman is a Professor of French and Translation Studies at the University of Ottawa (Canada). He is the author of the entries on “auto-” and “self-translation” in all three editions of the Routledge Encyclopedia of Translation Studies (1998, 2009, 2019).