How many authors have you read in translation? How many of those translated authors kept appearing in every World Literature class? Why are some authors so frequently translated while "other" authors remain unknown or ignored by Anglophone readers? (Why) Should one roll their eyes upon hearing the term "Global Anglophone Literature?"
In this course, we will discuss what makes some authors "translatable" and palatable for Anglophone readers. We will think about what it means for a text to be too local or not local enough. In other words, we will focus on two key terms in World Literature: circulation and translation. Thinking alongside theorists of World Literature and Translation Studies, we will interrogate the limits and potentials of translation to better understand the global dynamics of World Literature. Finally, we will probe the ethics of thinking about textual translation and circulation during a moment of intense refugee crisis and a raging pandemic to see if our practice of World Literature can say anything about our historical moment and how we might participate in it more responsibly.
Tuesdays & Thursdays 2:00-3:30 - face to face
Dr. Başak Çandar
ENG 5910 - World Literature: The World in Translation - Çandar (Spring 2023) flyer
