The Poetics of Self-translation (New Perspectives in Translation and Interpreting Studies)

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