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By Anna Alves, Hanna Alwine, Camille Coker, Daniela Jimenez Ochoa, Betsy Mirel, Naiya Patel-Kapka, Max Schiewe-Weliky, Rebecca Stumbo, Leonie Tepper, Anna Wenzel, Annie Wyner, and with Stiliana Milkova Rousseva 

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The authors collaborated on writing these tips for reviewers of translated literature. After a semester of reading, analyzing, writing and workshopping review essays, they discussed and recorded what they considered some important dos and don’ts of reviewing practice.

We believe that

• translated literature is valuable and worth both reading and reviewing more widely;
• the role of the reviewer is to help create and promote a culture of informed writing about translated literature;
• reviews of translated literature should acknowledge the translator’s voice and agency;
• to identify and discuss a text as translated can be done confidently and effectively;
• to discuss translation is to display the reviewer’s close reading skills while also showing respect for both author and translator;
• to address the translation does not detract from the reviewer’s voice or argument; 
• reviewing translated literature in a thoughtful, informed, and respectful way helps fight a culture of self-centered Anglophone monolingualism. 

The DOs 

• Do acknowledge the translator’s name as soon as possible within the body of the review.
• Do include the translator’s voice.
  • Look for interviews with the translator;
  • Look for other texts they have translated; 
  • Get an idea of their approach and/or process;
  • Learn about their philosophy towards translation;
  • Consult the translator’s note, if available.
  • Consider the translator’s background and how it may have informed the translation.
• Do try to read the original text and compare the translation.
  • Look up the original title;
  • Educate yourself on the original language;
  • Speak to somebody proficient in the original language if possible.
• Do acquaint yourself with the text’s translation history.
  • Have other translations of this work been done? 
  • If so, who are these former translators? How was their work received? What was their approach?
• Do attribute quotations in the translated language to the translator.
  • Separate attributions of the prose, word choice (translator) and the plot (author).
• Do your research. Provide the review’s audience with important historical/political context about the original text.
  • Provide literary context for the original work;
  • Consider how the work being reviewed fits within the author’s literary production (career)—is it a departure from the author’s previous work, is it a continuation, does it do anything new? 
• Do pay attention to how the text reads in English—notice style, prominent lexical choices and tone/register, images, instances of slang or humor—all these are the translator’s choices.
  • Acknowledge the style of the source text in comparison to the translated text (if accessible);
  • Consider including excerpts from the original text alongside their translated counterparts;
  • Consider the translation in the context of the literatures of the source and target languages.
• Do review both author and translator as separate entities that work together.
  • Strike a balance between discussing the author and translator;
  • Maintain a critical position as to their impact on the text.
• Do make an argument within your review.
  • Present a reading of the text and support it;
  • Think about outside factors that may have impacted this translation: why is it being translated now? 
  • Why does this text matter? 
• Do consider the audience.
  • Who are you writing for? What tone do you want to take?
  • Is your structure logical and comprehensible? Is your discussion both engaging and easy to follow?
  • Keep in mind that there are cultural variations among Anglophone readers, and your audience may not be monolingual; 
  • Be conscious of the language you are using in your review;
  • Keep in mind where your review is being published. 
• Do consider the role of the reviewer as an informed reader who sheds light on a particular work and who expands the knowledge of a field or subject or author or text.
• Do incorporate your voice as a writer.
  • Give your review an interesting and informative title.
• Do explain and provide context for any theory referenced or cited.
• Do aim for an engaging, readable review accessible to a wide audience.

The DON’Ts

• Do not relegate the translator’s name to parentheses.
• Do not center yourself/your background in the review.
  • Do not use the review as a vehicle for your own ideology
  • Do not excessively assert your authority; be cognizant of any blind spots you may have
• Do not critique the accuracy of the translation when you are not familiar with the original language; and even if you are, consider why a translator has made a particular choice.
• Do not use broad, unspecific adjectives or adverbs to describe the translation such as “fluent/fluently,” “fluid/fluidly” or “elegant/elegantly.”
• Do not attack authors or translators; keep critiques grounded in the text.
• Do not reduce the foreign text’s context to stereotypes, giving your reader the impression that it represents the whole source culture.
• Do not review a translated work you are unable or unwilling to properly educate yourself on.
• Do not overwhelm your readers with information; spread information out across your review.
• Do not read a translated text as if it were originally written in English; take into account the conventions of both the source and target languages.
• Do not attribute “strangeness” to a translation failure; foreign literature may also attempt to push the boundaries of genre, form, and literary tradition. Interpret this as a literary quality of the work, and evaluate as you would with any other piece of anglophone literature.

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Anna Alves, Hanna Alwine, Camille Coker, Daniela Jimenez Ochoa, Betsy Mirel, Naiya Patel-Kapka, Max Schiewe-Weliky, Rebecca Stumbo, Leonie Tepper, Anna Wenzel, and Annie Wyner were students in the inaugural course and advanced workshop on reviewing translated literature “The Art and Craft of the Review Essay,” taught by Professor Stiliana Milkova at Oberlin College (USA) during the fall 2024 semester.