The Caribbean in Translation

Exploring Caribbean literatures in translation, The Caribbean in Translation challenges traditional models of cultural exchange and highlights diverse literary contributions.

This book delves into the complexities of twentieth- and twenty-first-century Caribbean literatures in translation. By examining texts across English, French, and Spanish languages, The Caribbean in Translation employs Glissantian relational thinking to explore translation and literary circulation. It challenges traditional core–periphery models, advocating for alternative pathways of cultural exchange that highlight the richness of Caribbean literary contributions.

Within the pages of The Caribbean in Translation, the author conducts a comparative study of various genres, including poems, novels, short stories, and essays. The analysis is framed through the concept of thresholds, which serve both a textual and broader cultural purpose. On a textual level, thresholds correspond to elements like prefaces and glossaries that help contextualize Caribbean literatures for diverse audiences. On a broader scale, these thresholds allow for the examination of the routes of (non)circulation, remapping how Caribbean literatures are perceived within regional and global frameworks.

Through the lens of liminality and Glissantian notions of authorship and hospitality in translation, the book invites readers to reconsider established models of literary traffic. Ultimately, The Caribbean in Translation encourages a reevaluation of cultural exchange pathways, especially from Southern, archipelagic locations, making a significant contribution to contemporary discussions on translation and multilingualism in the Caribbean context.