The city in translation :|representations of Istanbul in translated short story anthologies

Abstract

This dissertation conducts an analysis of Istanbul-themed anthologies of Turkish short fiction, compiled and published for English and Turkish readers in the last thirty years. The analysis starts with an examination of the reasons for the increasing interest in Turkish literature, and conducts a textual and paratextual analysis across nine literary anthologies for a thorough exploration. This dissertation claims that the city has been exposed to translation three times: by anthologists in paratexts; by authors who translate factual cityscapes into texts; and by interlingual translators who translate short stories into English. Paratextual analysis sheds light on how the anthologists (translators, editors, publishers) represent the city to the source and target readers. Textual analysis casts light on how the city and its elements are rewritten in the original short stories and their translations. Both original short story writing and translating are acknowledged as rewriting activities (Lefevere 1992; 2000). Rewriters use framing (Baker 2006) as a strategy and negotiate the city through certain public narratives. Witnessing the organic bond between the city and its literature, the present study arrives at the conclusion that although anthology is perceived as a secondary production, anthology makers are capable of mediating literature through selection and presentation, thus steering city narratives in certain directions. This dissertation asserts that anthologies prove to be an efficient tool for readers to gain insight into other people’s lives and cultures. Moreover, not only authors but also interlingual translators actively participate in urban construction in the translated narratives. Recognizing Istanbul’s capability for empowering circulation of literature, and literature’s potential for disseminating images of the city for non-Turkish speaking audiences, the dissertation underlines literature’s metonymic relationship with the city.