The image of Siberia in translated Russian fiction in Dutch newspapers

A border-crossing performance par excellence translation often acts as a window on foreign cultures and regions. As the first truly mass medium, newspapers engaged in a transnational dialogue throughout the 19th century. However, reporting on foreign news events is only part of their discourse on regions abroad. Due to its compelling nature translated fiction provided the readership with a pervasive image of foreign regions.In my research on translations of Russian literature in Dutch newspapers the depiction and expression of the foreignness is one of the lines of inquiry. During the 19th and 20th century, Russian literature acted as a hub of knowledge on Russia and all things Russian. Focusing on the representation of Siberia in Dutch newspapers, I argue that fiction largely attributed to the image of a dark, dangerous region populated by loners and inmates. Initially driven by curiosity about this remote region, the discourse became dominated by stereotypes, a paradox that I aim to tackle. Joining translation and periodical studies, two fields that have recently seen greatly increased interest, this paper ponders how we can stage critically informed close readings of the extraordinary number of translations that appeared in newspapers and magazines. Its aim is to begin constructing an empirical approach that focuses on questions of discourse and cultural representation.ReferencesBrolsma, Marjet2021Een Nederlands Ruslandcomplex? De bekoring van Rusland als ‘onbedorven Oosten’ in de Jaren twintig. Over de Russische invloed op de Nederlandse cultuur. Uitgave ter gelegenheid van het twintigjarig bestaan van het Nederlands Instituut in Sint-Petersburg: 32-57, Amsterdam: Amsterdam University Press.Fólica, Laura, Diana Roig-Sanz & Stefania Caristia (eds.)2020Literary Translation in Periodicals: Methodological challenges for a transnational approach. (Benjamin Translation Library vol. 155), Amsterdam: Benjamins.O’Connor, Anne2019Translation in nineteenth-century periodicals. Materialities and modalities of communication. Translation and Interpreting Studies 14/2: 243-264.A border-crossing performance par excellence translation often acts as a window on foreign cultures and regions. As the first truly mass medium, newspapers engaged in a transnational dialogue throughout the 19th century. However, reporting on foreign news events is only part of their discourse on regions abroad. Due to its compelling nature translated fiction provided the readership with a pervasive image of foreign regions.In my research on translations of Russian literature in Dutch newspapers the depiction and expression of the foreignness is one of the lines of inquiry. During the 19th and 20th century, Russian literature acted as a hub of knowledge on Russia and all things Russian. Focusing on the representation of Siberia in Dutch newspapers, I argue that fiction largely attributed to the image of a dark, dangerous region populated by loners and inmates. Initially driven by curiosity about this remote region, the discourse became dominated by stereotypes, a paradox that I aim to tackle. Joining translation and periodical studies, two fields that have recently seen greatly increased interest, this paper ponders how we can stage critically informed close readings of the extraordinary number of translations that appeared in newspapers and magazines. Its aim is to begin constructing an empirical approach that focuses on questions of discourse and cultural representation.ReferencesBrolsma, Marjet2021Een Nederlands Ruslandcomplex? De bekoring van Rusland als ‘onbedorven Oosten’ in de Jaren twintig. Over de Russische invloed op de Nederlandse cultuur. Uitgave ter gelegenheid van het twintigjarig bestaan van het Nederlands Instituut in Sint-Petersburg: 32-57, Amsterdam: Amsterdam University Press.Fólica, Laura, Diana Roig-Sanz & Stefania Caristia (eds.)2020Literary Translation in Periodicals: Methodological challenges for a transnational approach. (Benjamin Translation Library vol. 155), Amsterdam: Benjamins.O’Connor, Anne2019Translation in nineteenth-century periodicals. Materialities and modalities of communication. Translation and Interpreting Studies 14/2: 243-264.C