Abstracts
Abstract
This paper focuses on the translation of Nigerian literature into French from the perspective of cultural diplomacy and as a cultural product (Flotow, 2007; Córdoba Serrano, 2013). It reviews Nigerian cultural diplomacy initiatives to determine if translation is highlighted as part of cultural export and as a means through which the Nigerian image and culture are promoted. Even though translation exchanges are not promoted by the Nigerian government, there is a field of translation of Nigerian texts into French. Data from a list of Nigerian novels translated into French between 1953 and 2017 provide contextual and historical information on the circulation of translations as well as on the works that are selected for translation into French.
Keywords:
- Nigerian literature,
- cultural diplomacy,
- translation,
- circulation,
- French language
Résumé
Le présent article propose une étude de la littérature nigériane traduite en français abordée sous l’angle de la diplomatie culturelle et comme un produit culturel (Flotow, 2007 ; Córdoba Serrano, 2013). Il examine les politiques culturelles nigérianes afin de découvrir si la traduction est considérée comme un produit culturel et comme un moyen de promotion de l’image et de la culture nigérianes. En dépit du fait que la traduction n’est pas promue par le gouvernement nigérian, le domaine de la traduction littéraire vers le français est loin d’être aride. L’analyse d’une liste d’oeuvres nigérianes traduites en français entre 1953 et 2017 fournit des informations historiques et contextuelles en ce qui concerne la circulation des traductions de même que des informations sur les oeuvres sélectionnées pour la traduction.
Mots-clés :
- littérature nigériane,
- diplomatie culturelle,
- traduction,
- diffusion,
- langue française
Appendices
Bibliography
- Ajeluorou, Anote (2017). “Dillibe Onyeama revives occult novels of the 80s.” Guardian Arts, 22 February. [https://guardian.ng/art/dillibe-onyeama-revives-occult-novels-of-the-80s/].
- Alabi, Priscilla (2017). “Why We Won’t Allow Abuja Arts Village Run 24 Hours Daily Runsewe.” Premium Times, 15 July [https://www.premiumtimesng.com/news/top-news/236905interview-wont-allow-abuja-arts-village-run-24-hours-daily-runsewe.html].
- Amatoritsero, Ede (2013). The Global Literary Canon and Minor African Literatures. PhD dissertation. Carleton University. Unpublished.
- Awoyemi-Arayela, Taye (2013). “Nigerian Literature in English: The Journey so Far?” International Journal of Humanities and Social Science Invention, 2, 1, pp. 29-36.
- Balogun, Ola (1985). “Cultural Policies as an Instrument of External Image-Building: A Blueprint for Nigeria.” Présence Africaine, 133-134, pp. 86-98.
- Bourdieu, Pierre (1991). Language and Symbolic Power. Ed. by J. B. Thompson, Trans. Gino Raymond and Matthew Adamson. Cambridge, Harvard University Press.
- Casanova, Pascale (2004). The World Republic of Letters. Trans. Malcolm DeBevoise. Cambridge, Harvard University Press.
- Cavagnoli, Franca (2014). “Translation and Creation in a Postcolonial Context.” In S. Bertacco, ed. Language and Translation in Postcolonial Literatures. Multilingual Contexts, Translational Texts. London and New York, Routledge, pp. 165-179.
- Cooper, Brenda (2008). “Diaspora, Gender and Identity: Twinning in Three Diasporic Novels.” English Academy Review, 25, 1, pp. 51-65.
- Córdoba Serrano, María Sierra (2010a). “Translation as a Measure of Literary Domination: The Case of Quebec Literature Translated in Spain. (1975-2004).” MonTi, 2, pp. 249-282.
- Córdoba Serrano, María Sierra (2010b). “Traduction littéraire et diplomatie culturelle. Le cas de la fiction québécoise traduite en Espagne.” Globe : revue internationale d’études québécoises, 13, 1, pp. 47-71.
- Córdoba Serrano, María Sierra (2013). Le Québec traduit en Espagne. Analyse sociologique de l’exportation d’une culture périphérique. Ottawa, Les Presses de l’Université d’Ottawa.
- Cuder-Domínguez, Pilar (2009). “Double Consciousness in the Work of Helen Oyeyemi and Diana Evans.” Women: A Cultural Review, 20, 3, pp. 277-286.
- Edem, Fifi (n.d.). New Books Nigeria.A Portal of New Nigerian Creative Writing. [https://newbooksnigeria.wordpress.com/].
- Flotow, Luise von (2007). “Revealing the ‘Soul of Which Nation?: Translated Literature as Cultural Diplomacy.” In P. St-Pierre and P. C. Kar, eds. Translation Reflections, Refractions, Transformations, Amsterdam, John Benjamins, pp. 187-200.
- Flotow, Luise von and Reingard M. Nischik, eds. (2007). Translating Canada. Charting the Institutions and Influences of Cultural Transfer: Canadian Writing in German/y. Ottawa, University of Ottawa Press.
- Hagher, Iyorwuese (2015). Diverse but Not Broken. National Wake-up Calls for Nigeria. Singapore, Strategic Book.
- Harrow, Kenneth (2001). “Bernth Lindfors and the Archive of Nigerian Literature.” Research in African Literatures, 19, pp. 147-154.
- Heilbron, Johan (1999). “Towards a Sociology of Translation: Book Translations as Cultural World System.” European Journal of Social Theory, 2, 4, pp. 429-444.
- Hurn, Brian (2016). “The Role of Cultural Diplomacy in Nation Branding.” Industrial and Commercial Training, 48, 2, pp. 80-85.
- Institute for Development and International Relations/Culturelink (1996). Cultural Policy in Nigeria. [http://www.wwcd.org/policy/clink/Nigeria.html].
- Iwuchukwu, Matthew O. (2005). “Francophonie et production littéraire nigérienne en traduction française : dialogue des cultures.” Neohelicon, 32, 2, pp. 521-527.
- Lindfors, Bernth (1988). “Africa and the Nobel Prize.” World Literature Today, 62, 2, pp. 222-224.
- Lindfors, Bernth (1995). “Desert Gold: Irrigation Schemes for Ending Book Drought.” In B. Lindfors, ed. Long Drums and Canons. Trenton, Africa World Press, pp. 123-135.
- Madueke, Sylvia I. C. (2019). Translating and Publishing Nigerian Literature in France (1953-2017): A Study of Selected Writers. University of Alberta, PhD dissertation. [https://era.library.ualberta.ca/items/7503d30a-f3f8-4bca-89d3-87a70d3b3e4c/view/ba011970-529c-4a31-a2d2-d93e781086cf/Madueke_Ijeoma_C_201812_PhD.pdf].
- Mimiko, Nurudeen and Kikelomo Mbada (2014). “Elite Perceptions and Nigeria’s Foreign Policy Process.” Alternatives Turkish Journal of International Relations, 13, 3, pp. 41-54.
- Ministère de l’Europe et des Affaires étrangères, République française (2019). “Nigeria.” France Diplomatie. [https://www.diplomatie.gouv.fr/en/country-files/nigeria/].
- Moore, Gerald (1973). “La littérature en langue anglaise : une nouvelle vigueur d’expression forgée dans les années d’épreuve.” Le Monde diplomatique. Décembre, p. 42. [https://www.monde-diplomatique.fr/1973/12/MOORE/31999].
- Nawotka, Edward (2013). “What Role Can Literature Play in Cultural Diplomacy?” Publishing Perspectives. [https://publishingperspectives.com/2013/08/what-role-can-literature-play-in-cultural-diplomacy/].
- Nigeria Embassy Paris France (9 May 2018). Nigerian Creative Arts Exchange. [https://www.nigeriafrance.com/nigerian-creative-arts-exchange/].
- Ogunlesi, Tolu (2015). “A New Chapter in Nigeria’s Literature: Writers Are Gaining International Attention.” Financial Times, October 6. [https://www.ft.com/content/2aaa2182-670c-11e5-97d0-1456a776a4f5].
- Ohai, Chux (2017). “Recession: Chevron Withdraws Funding for ANA Prize.” Punch, Feb. 21. [https://punchng.com/recession-chevron-withdraws-funding-ana-prize/].
- Premium Times (2016). “Nigeria, France Sign 5 Bilateral Agreements.” Premium Times, 15 May. [https://www.premiumtimesng.com/news/more-news/203427-nigeria-france-sign-5-bilateral-agreements.html].
- Ricard, Alain (2005). “La publication de la littérature africaine en traduction.” Les Cahiers de l’IFAS, 6, pp. 58-62.
- Richard, Jean-Pierre (2005a). “L’autre source : le rôle des traducteurs dans le transfert en français de la littérature sud-africaine.” Les Cahiers de l’IFAS, 6, pp. 12-23.
- Richard, Jean-Pierre (2005b). “Translation of African Literature: A German Model?” Les Cahiers de l’IFAS, 6, pp. 39-44.
- Rodin, Sinisa and Martina Topic (2012). Cultural Diplomacy and Cultural Imperialism: European Perspective. Frankfurt, Peter GmbH.
- Selasi, Taiye (2005). “Bye-Bye Babar (or: What is an Afropolitan).” The Lip Magazine, March 3. [http://thelip.robertsharp.co.uk/?p=76].
- Sharkdam, Wapmuk (2012). “The Changing Role of Non-State Actors in Foreign Policy Making, with Reference to Nigeria.” The IUP Journal of International Relations, 6, 4, pp. 7-18.
- Stec, Loretta (1997). “Publishing and Canonicity: The Case of Heinemann’s ‘African Writers Series’.” Pacific Coast Philology, 32, 2, pp. 140-149.
- Sullivan, Joanna (2001). “The Question of National Literature for Nigeria.” Research in African Literatures, 32, 3, pp. 71-85.
- Sunday, Frankline (2016). “‘There’s no Money in it’: Prize-winning African Author Says Writers must Diversify to Survive.” The Guardian, 10 July. [https://www.theguardian.com/books/2016/jul/10/prize-winning-caine-prize-african-author-writers-must-diversify-to-survive].
- Ugochukwu, Françoise (1995). “Thèses et mémoires présentés en français sur le Nigéria : bibliographie (1963-1993).” Journal des africanistes, 65, 1, pp. 123-142.
- Ugochukwu, Françoise (2002). “Nigerian Literature in France. A Survey and Assessment of Fifty Years of French Interest in Nigeria and Its literature.” In T. Falola, ed. Nigeria in the Twentieth Century. Durham, Carolina Academic Press.
- Ugochukwu, Françoise (2006). “La littérature nigériane en traduction et son impact.” Ethiopiques, 77, pp. 151-171.
- Umefien, Dakoru Epepe (2019). “Digital Technologies: Way Forward for Nigerian Languages Literacy.” In B. Önay Dogan and D. Gül Ünlü, eds. Handbook of Research on Examining Cultural Policies Through Digital Communication. Hershey, IGI Global, pp. 308-332.
- Van Bolderen, Trish (2014). “Huston, We Have a Problem… (or What on Earth is ‘Canadian Self-Translation’ Supposed to Mean?).” Tradução em Revista, 16, 1, pp. 83-94.
- Vignal, Daniel (1980). “Littérature nigériane d’expression anglaise : quoi de neuf?” Peuples noirs, Peuples africains, 14, pp. 50-58.