Brecht into English: theoretical and applied approaches to cultural transmission

'Brecht into English' is a major international research project devoted to a critical appraisal of the transmission of Brecht's writings and ideas into English, to a historical assessment of the reception of Brecht in the English-speaking world, and to the development of principles of edition and translation. It will advance our understanding of the ways in which, not just Brecht, but foreign literatures in general and across the full range of genres, negotiate cultural difference. It will result in major research publications, both in articles and special issues of internationally respected journals and in significant additions to the corpus of Brecht's writings in the English language. It will also provide integrated opportunities for cultural interchange with non-academic institutions through a programme of workshops and the like.
Brecht is, internationally, one of the most performed of all writers for the theatre, often accounted second only to Shakespeare. His work is of huge significance for the professional theatre, in Britain and elsewhere, as well as for schools and drama colleges. At the same time, his cultural theoretical writings underpin work in media and cultural studies (esp. film) and in the development of a critical cultural theory. And, thirdly, he is widely recognised as the most important German poet of the twentieth century and enjoys an international reputation as one the greatest of Modernist poets. The translation, edition and transmission of the works of such an author in the English language is as important as that of Freud or Marx, e.g., yet it has been the subject of little critical analysis and engagement. 'Brecht into English' aims to set that right, by engaging an international network of leading Brecht scholars to reflect critically on the processes of translation and cultural transmission in the English-speaking world, both in the theatre and in print, and finally to contribute key volumes to the ongoing critical edition in English of Brecht's huge and varied oeuvre.
The project will be coordinated by Dr Tom Kuhn who, as an editor of the 'Methuen Drama' Brecht list (some 40 titles) since 1996, has enjoyed a privileged overview of Brecht translation and reception. He is one of the leading scholars of Brecht in the English-speaking world, with numerous publications. Having, over decades, nurtured relationships, not only with Brecht scholars, but also with the Brecht heirs (the copyright holders) and with the relevant publishers, Dr Kuhn has persuaded the interested parties to embark on several important new publications: a thoroughly revised Brecht on Theatre and a further volume, Brecht on Performance (much of the material appearing in English for the first time) which together will complete the 4-vol. set of theoretical writings; an entirely new 5-vol. edition of the Collected Poems; and a critical edition of the Berliner Ensemble Adaptations, to complete the 9-vol. Collected Plays. The translators, editors and other scholars assembled in this context represent a Core Team, poised to exploit an exciting opportunity to reflect both on the pragmatics of translation and on theories of intercultural exchange.
Central questions about the practices of translation, adaptation and cultural hybridity will be addressed in workshops and conferences. It is expected that the project will attract the International Brecht Society's (triennial) conference to Britain in 2016 on the theme 'Recycling Brecht'. There will be an exchange with theatre practitioners, led by the director Di Trevis, which will feed directly into the planned publications and into a parallel cultural programme. The project will have outputs, not only in the critical editions enumerated above, but also in special issues of major publications, including the Brecht Yearbook, research articles in peer-reviewed journals, and, finally, workshop protocols and films.

The importance of Brecht in the theatres and schools of the world and of his writings for cultural criticism and critical theory generally, makes Brecht in English arguably more important than Brecht in German. English, as well as its more obvious national bases, is the language through which Brecht is mediated to the Indian sub-continent, to much of Africa, and even to the Far East. The mediation of Brecht's work through reliable translations, in book form and in the theatre, makes a crucial contribution to the cultural life of the English-speaking community worldwide, as well as of the nation more narrowly conceived. He is the greatest dramatist of the twentieth century in any language, and one of the most accessible representatives of the culture of our most important European neighbour. His writings take us straight to the central questions of twentieth-century European history and act as discussion pieces about fascism and communism. Beyond this, Brecht is one of the few classic and widely studied authors who engages directly with economic and political questions: the very existence of these texts helps to nurture an economically and politically educated public.
The study of the way in which such writings are transmitted is designed not just to critique past and present cultural presumptions, but also to inform future work, both on Brecht and on other European classics. Beyond this, the impact of a new edition of a major writer's works will always be great, and felt most significantly by scholars and students working in the area. The interdisciplinary nature of Brecht's oeuvre, however, in several media and genres, means that the reach of this project will be far greater and stretch well outside the academic community. Brecht's work is widely taught in schools too, as a part of Theatre Studies, German and History courses. The proposed editions will furnish new material for exploitation in all sorts of pedagogic contexts. The new edition of Brecht on Theatre, e.g., for which worldwide exclusive rights are secured, is projected to sell 3000 a year. Brecht is a mainstay of the Methuen Drama list, and we can expect these books to be in print for decades.
Brecht's work is also of great importance for the theatre, indeed he is often accounted, worldwide after Shakespeare, the second most performed author. These editions contain important texts. The Adaptations volume, for example, will undoubtedly be taken up, especially as it includes versions of two English classics (Shakespeare's Coriolanus and Farquhar's Trumpets and Drums). The theory volumes are likewise of importance for work in drama colleges and theatres, containing Brecht's significant statements on Epic Theatre, Verfremdung and Gestus. The Messingkauf is a hybrid between theory and theatre, and has several times been staged in German; our edition will make it possible to do that in English too. As for the Poems, Brecht's standing as a poet is growing all the time but his poetry is insufficiently known in English. The publication in 1978 of Willett's Poems volume was hailed as a hugely significant moment by critics such as Stephen Spender, George Steiner and Kenneth Tynan. The new Poems volumes will have a similar impact on the poetry reading and writing community.
Dr Kuhn has long been committed to communicating his work beyond an academic audience and, above all, to ensuring that good translations and editions are made accessible to a wide audience. He has worked closely with translators and directors, as well as with publishers. He has spoken in schools and theatres, participated in workshops, and contributed to theatre programmes and radio broadcasts. The Core Team for this project and the Advisory Board have been recruited with an eye to exploiting contacts with the theatre and poetry worlds, and reaching out to new (non-academic) audiences through a cultural programme of workshops, readings, talks and performances.