Promoting Translated Literature on Feminicide
Striking a Balance between Sensationalism and Feminism in Dead Girls (2020) by Selva Almada
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.30827/rl.v0i38.35565Keywords:
literary translation, publishing market, femicide theory, feminist dialogues, paratextsAbstract
Given the proliferation of Latin American literature on gender-based violence in the Anglophone book market, this article examines the transnational position of literature about feminicide in this context. As a hegemonic force within the global literary field, the Anglophone market shapes the circulation and reception of translated works. This article analyses the role of paratexts and literary genre labels through a comparative study of Chicas muertas (2014) by Selva Almada and its English translation, Dead Girls (2020), translated by Annie McDermott, alongside its Anglophone reception. I argue that associations with other literary traditions, particularly true crime, as well as interpretations of the text and its cultural meanings, diverge between the Argentinian and Anglophone versions. These differences are produced by the interaction of ‘agents of translation’—including publishers, critics, authors, and translators—and by readers themselves.
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