The core focus of this research is the sociological factors influencing the activities surrounding the production of contemporary Arabic fiction self-translated into English. Self-translation is defined as the production of a text that is, in essence, an author’s translation – differentiating it from other types of translation. But what does it mean to self-translate sociologically? How are Arabic self-translated works published in English? What advantages do authors gain from self-translating their works? Who are the key players and driving forces behind this activity?
This thesis aims to address these questions by tracing the sociological trajectory of Arabic fiction that has been self-translated into English. Through this exploration, it seeks to understand the dynamics, implications, and significance of Arabic self-translation activities in English. It endeavours to explore and analyse the sociological factors that impact or restrict these activities within this sub-field. The investigation utilises Pierre Bourdieu’s theoretical framework on social practice, incorporating his key concepts of field, habitus, capitals, and doxa. These concepts will be applied to achieve a deeper understanding of the Arabic-to-English self-translation activity. This activity is examined as one that is both influenced by and influencing the social constructs encompassing it. The study probes into the roles of players (comprising self-translators and publishers) within this niche, viewing them as social agents who are regulated by and contribute to regulating social norms and structures within their sub-field.
This thesis involves the compilation and examination, both statistically and sociologically, of a dataset of English self-translations of contemporary Arabic fiction, spanning the years 1952 to 2023. It defines the contours of the sub-field of contemporary Arabic fiction self-translated into English; setting its boundaries and highlighting its origins.
Moreover, the case studies of self-translators Saad Elkhadem, Sinan Antoon, and Samar Attar are meticulously analysed to shed light on the interplay of sociological forces within the sub-field of contemporary Arabic fiction self-translated into English. This analysis aims to understand how these forces influence the sub-field’s dynamics – either promoting or undermining its development– and mediate the interactions between its agents and overlapping fields, such as the field of Arabic fiction translated into English and the field of publishing. By conducting a detailed sociological examination of these selected agents, the thesis reveals how self-translations serve as a means for capital accumulation, recognition and/or subversion within the sub-field, and unveils the competition among its agents.
