Centre for Literature in Translation

The CLIV has grown from the fusion of two existing and active research groups (Literature in Translation, UGent and Center for Literary Translation, VUB) that focus exclusively on literary translation. In recent years, they have studied various modalities of literary translation from different language areas in different literary periods. Again, this study reveals the paradox that, despite the prominent role they play in the unlocking of texts and cultural transfers, translators are believed to conform to the norms of the target culture, or even completely erase oneself. Translation scientist Lawrence Venuti has declared this invisibility of the translator years ago as one of the "scandals of translation". And even though its call for alienation or "foreignization" has recently yielded benefits (as evidenced by Andrew Chesterman's "retranslation hypothesis"), the translator remains an underexplained body.