Translation Flows between France and the Maghreb in the 21st Century: Literature, Cooperation, and Francophonie
Lead Research Organisation:
University of St Andrews
Department Name: Sch of Modern Languages
Abstract
This thesis will explore how current literary translation flows between France and the Maghreb (Morocco, Algeria, and Tunisia), redefine la Francophonie as a multilingual, rather than French-speaking, literary space in the twenty-first century.
By comparing cultural policy documents to literary texts translated as part of large cooperation programmes during the past ten years, I will investigate (i) why literary translation from and into Arabic became a tool of Francophone cultural policy in France and the Maghreb (ii) how literary translation as a creative process is impacted when tasked with meeting specific cooperation goals and (iii) how (translated) literature and cultural policy currently intersect in reimagining 'la Francophonie'.
As such, the thesis will consider literary translations as Francophone texts in their own right, which has rarely been done before. The thesis will further make a methodological contribution to the field of Comparative Literature by exploring how it could use cultural policy and creative industries research methods to better account for the context of production, translation, and circulation of books, notably in postcolonial settings. Reciprocally, the thesis will help identify a key role for Modern Languages research in shaping cultural policy and the creative industries.
By comparing cultural policy documents to literary texts translated as part of large cooperation programmes during the past ten years, I will investigate (i) why literary translation from and into Arabic became a tool of Francophone cultural policy in France and the Maghreb (ii) how literary translation as a creative process is impacted when tasked with meeting specific cooperation goals and (iii) how (translated) literature and cultural policy currently intersect in reimagining 'la Francophonie'.
As such, the thesis will consider literary translations as Francophone texts in their own right, which has rarely been done before. The thesis will further make a methodological contribution to the field of Comparative Literature by exploring how it could use cultural policy and creative industries research methods to better account for the context of production, translation, and circulation of books, notably in postcolonial settings. Reciprocally, the thesis will help identify a key role for Modern Languages research in shaping cultural policy and the creative industries.
