Should you self-translate your work?
Self-translation is a common practice among writers who live across languages. Translating one’s own work is not only a practical task. It can be an extension of authorship, a creative experiment, a form of cultural empowerment, or a pragmatic strategy for taking space in new publishing contexts and building one’s presence.
Check out the Multilingual Poetics course on our platform, especially the lesson Between Languages with Francesca Cricelli, where she focuses on translation as a tool for developing poetic attention while reading and writing. Here is a preview of the lesson introduction:
Your Task
Would you consider self-translating your work? To which languages? For what reasons? On what terms?
- Choose a text. Which of your works could you self-translate? Why this one?
- Pick a language. Which language(s) would you translate into and why?
- Clarify your purpose. Artistic experiment, wider audience, local recognition, or other?
- Set your terms. Will you stay close to the original or adapt freely? Will you seek feedback?
- Reflect. What challenges and opportunities do you see?