Building bridges, building a bibliography of Australian children's fiction in German translation 1854–2007

Abstract

This paper traces the process of creating a comprehensive bibliography of Australian children's novels translated into German. The exchange of literature between two cultures has often been expressed using the phrase, “books serve as bridges,” drawing on the idea that translation enables readers to access information that would otherwise be inaccessible. Building national bibliographies of translated literature is crucial to the recognition of existing bridges between cultures; the examination of a large body of national literature in translation allows for a deeper insight into some of the specific demands of translating literature for children, noting the prevailing trends and/or changes over time. In a wider context, the bibliography confirms the number of translations of Australian children's literature into German and points to a range of trends pertaining to any clear preference for the translation of works by certain Australian authors, as well as for the translation of particular genres, themes, and so on. The compilation of this bibliography formed the basis of a larger study into the translation of Australian children's fiction in German translation.