Images of Tibetan identity emerging from contemporary Tibetan literature in English translation by the Anglophone world: narrative examination of selection, paratext and reviews

Contributing to the trend of connecting translation studies, imagology and reception, the present research examines how Tibetan identity was represented in the English translation of contemporary Tibetan literature (CTL) in the Anglophone world at the levels of selection, paratext and reviews. Using datasets containing 15 full-length volumes of CTL available in English translation and the paratext and reviews scoped for the study, the focus is on both the representations of Tibetan identity and the mechanism through which certain “images” were constructed in relation to the underlying institutionality involved at each level, drawing on narrative theory and certain concept from complexity theory like ‘constraint’, and adopting the methods of content analysis, framing analysis and narrative analysis.
Taken examination at the three levels together, two consistent modes of representations of Tibetan identity were observed. On the one hand, Tibet and Tibetan people were represented as being remote and victimised, Tibetan writers as resisters and their works implicated with political commitments. On the other hand, Tibetan literature was depicted as being dynamic demonstrating an image of Tibetan society and people of their own complexity. The former was more related to participants from Tibetan Studies community whereas the latter to those from Chinese literary studies circle or Tibetan Studies circle but specialising more in literature. The participants at the three levels seemed to be greatly influenced by the West-centric master narratives around the Tibet question and those of Communism. However, the image of Tibetan identity shown in some packaging and reviews suggested a mode of circulation and reading which would allow for opener reception context for Tibetan literature in the Anglophone world.
The study’s major contribution is providing a comprehensive picture of how Tibetan identity was represented at the three processual levels of the English translation of CTL in the Anglophone world. It not only demonstrates how Western stereotyping of Tibet and China finds its way into the representations of CTL in English but also indicates from a world literature view the implications and possible venues for CTL to reach more global audience in the world.