Literary Translation and the Nobel Prize

This collection offers the first systematic account of the pivotal role of literary translation in the history and future of the Nobel Prize in Literature.

The volume explores the complex reciprocal relationship between the prize institution and translation from a transdisciplinary lens. Perspectives from varied disciplines from around the world consider the ways in which the prize relies heavily on translations before and after prize decisions but also the impact of laureate announcements on wider translation patterns. The collection concludes with several chapters on individual case studies and an afterword by esteemed translation Jan Henrik Swahn.

Making the case for a wide-reaching transdisciplinary approach to understanding the interplay of literary translation and the Nobel Prize, this book will be of interest to scholars in translation studies, comparative literature, literary studies, and cultural sociology.