"Belatedly, Asia's Literary Scene Comes of Age": Celebratory English Discourse and the Translation of Asian Literature

Authors

  • Harry Aveling, La Trobe University, Australia

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.31436/asiatic.v2i2.45

Abstract

On 8 November 2007, the International Herald Tribune (IHT) triumphantly announced that “belatedly,†the Asian literary scene had “come of age.†There were two reasons for this belated success. The first was that an increasing number of literary works by Asian authors are now appearing in English or in English translations. The other was that major British and, especially, American publishing companies are now establishing branch companies in this region. 

    This paper will examine the discourse of the IHT article to suggest how celebratory English language constructs a particular view of literary success – success in terms of a dominant international English. This analysis will be framed within a wider context of Postcolonial Translation Studies.

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Author Biography

Harry Aveling, La Trobe University, Australia

Professor Harry Aveling specialises in Indonesian and Malay literature and in Translation Studies. In 1991 he was awarded the Anugerah Pengembangan Sastera by GAPENA (The Federation of Malay Writers’ Associations) for his contribution to the promotion of the international recognition of Malay Literature. In recent years, he has taught courses in Translation Studies at the University of Indonesia; the University of Social Sciences and Humanities, Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam; and Ohio University.

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Published

2008-12-15

How to Cite

Aveling, La Trobe University, Australia, H. (2008). "Belatedly, Asia’s Literary Scene Comes of Age": Celebratory English Discourse and the Translation of Asian Literature. Asiatic: IIUM Journal of English Language and Literature, 2(2), 14–24. https://doi.org/10.31436/asiatic.v2i2.45

Issue

Vol. 2 No. 2 (2008): December

Section

Articles

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