Edited by Francesca Raffi (University of Macerata), Emília Perez (Constantine the Philosopher University in Nitra) and Matej Martinkovič (Constantine the Philosopher University in Nitra)
The concept of paratext was first analysed by Gérard Genette, who defines the term as “what enables a text to become a book and to be offered as such to its readers and, more generally, to the public” (Genette 1997: 1). According to the author, in fact, a literary work not only consists of the main text itself, but is also surrounded by other elements, such as the title, cover, preface and all those elements that help to present it to the public and that “ensure the text’s presence in the world, its ‘reception’ and consumption” (Genette 1997: 1).
The paratexts of (re)translations are indeed elements that offer interesting insights from many perspectives, with retranslation intended as “the act of translating a work that has previously been translated into the same language, or the result of such an act, i.e. the retranslated text itself” (Gürçaglar 2009: 233). By framing the core text in a certain way, these added elements present a work to the audience with the potential to influence its reception. Paratexts are also a powerful tool through which translators may convey their vision and purpose, invite new interpretations, and claim their role.
Paratexts, being flexible, versatile and transitory can thus be a tool for adapting a text to a dynamic and ever-changing target culture, while also offering a place for the (re)translator to claim their presence and visibility. Since the early 2000s, several studies have examined retranslations by taking into account their paratextual aspects to investigate issues related to the context and reception of a given literary (Gürçağlar 2008; Deane-Cox 2012, 2014; Badić 2020, among others) or, more recently, audiovisual (O’Sullivan 2018; Mével 2020; Raffi 2022; Bucaria and Batchelor forthcoming, among others) work. These studies have confirmed that paratextual aspects reflect the context in which a retranslation is produced, highlight the dominant ideologies and norms of a target culture, but may also act as a marketing tool and a catalyst for the (new) audience.
The aim of this issue is to provide an opportunity for scholars in Translation Studies, Reception Studies, and Media Studies, among others, to present their findings, insights, and interdisciplinary perspectives on paratextual elements in the (re)translation of both literary and multimodal works. Following Genette (1997: 12), paratexts may be here intended as a very broad category of elements that are “fundamentally heteronomous, auxiliary, and dedicated to the service of something other than itself”. These may include prefaces, blurbs, notes, interviews, private communications (e.g., letters, diaries), promotional campaigns, fan-made materials, social media posts, endorsements, trailers, among others. The topics of interest may include but are not restricted to those listed below:
- paratextual elements in (re)translated literary works
- paratextual elements in (re)translated multimedia works (e.g. films, TV-series, videogames, operas, musicals, theatre plays)
- accessible paratexts and inclusive design
- the (in)visibility of the translator
- paratexts and the editor
- theoretical and methodological challenges of studying paratexts
- ideological discourse in (re)translation
- paratextuality and (re)translation across different media
We welcome full-paper submissions reflecting the abovementioned issues. All articles must be written in English and should not exceed 7,000 words. We also welcome reviews of publications related to the main topic of this issue.
Deadline for submission: 15 October 2023
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