Twenty Years (Almost) of English, British and Postcolonial Poetry in Translation (1999-2016)

by Andrea Sirotti

The article aims to be a survey-census of the publications of British and postcolonial poetry by big, medium and small Italian publishing houses, with a particular focus on the last twenty years. This wide-ranging – if incomplete – review allows one to reflect on which have been the dominant publishing trends and exemplary cases, the favoured authors and currents, the fortunate cultural areas and the neglected ones, the qualities and choices of the translators throughout the years. Finally, the author dwells on what is yet to be done and on the importance, in spite of the difficulties of the publishing market, of translating and retranslating good English-language poetry, in order to nurture the literary and cultural debate of the country.