Metodo

International Studies in Phenomenology and Philosophy

Series | Book | Chapter

206208

Biography as network-building

James S. Holmes and dutch-english poetry translation

Francis R. Jones

pp. 309-331

Abstract

Poetry translation from a language of limited diffusion into another language is typically dominated by a few lifelong "dedicated experts". Dedicated experts usually translate many poets, work alongside many fellow translators, and may edit multi-poet, multi-translator anthologies. Thus, their career involves building ever-wider networks of poets and translators, which last beyond the dedicated expert him/herself. In this case study of leading Dutch-English poetry translator and editor James S. Holmes (1924–1986), Jones uses a database of translations to map Holmes' working networks with poets and other translators over time. Analysis uses diachronic, network-based approaches within a Bourdieusian sociological framework. This study, therefore, models the dedicated expert as networked actor rather than mega-translator, and proposes a methodological alternative to "heroic individual narratives' for translator biography.

Publication details

Published in:

Boase-Beier Jean, Fisher Lina, Furukawa Hiroko (2018) The Palgrave handbook of literary translation. Basingstoke, Palgrave Macmillan.

Pages: 309-331

DOI: 10.1007/978-3-319-75753-7_16

Full citation:

Jones Francis R. (2018) „Biography as network-building: James S. Holmes and dutch-english poetry translation“, In: J. Boase-Beier, L. Fisher & H. Furukawa (eds.), The Palgrave handbook of literary translation, Basingstoke, Palgrave Macmillan, 309–331.