Exit le translinguisme exclusif: Talgo et la genèse bilingue de l’œuvre alexakienne

Abstract

Since the publication of La Langue maternelle, a novel initially written in Greek whose self-translation into French propelled Greek author Vassilis Alexakis (1943–2021) to the forefront of the literary scene when it was awarded the Prix Médicis in 1995, the author’s works have often been examined for their translingual and bilingual qualities. However, the end of Alexakis’s initial “exclusive translingualism” and the beginnings of his bilingual writing practice have been the subject of little study. This article aims to illustrate how the novel Talgo, even if it remains in the shadow of Alexakis’s most famous novels, is a major turning point in his literary career. We will first clarify the circumstances of the “return” to the mother tongue with the publication of Tάλγκο (Talgo) in Greek in 1980. We will then explain how the publication of the French version of the novel, Talgo, in 1983, launches a long-term Alexakian writing practice based on self-translation and rewriting. Finally, we will show that Talgo, which could be described as an overly sentimental novel, is much more complex and important than it appears at first since it heralds many themes which will take on increasing importance in later works.