Penguin Books and the Translation of Spanish and Latin American Poetry, 1956–1979

Abstract

This article accounts for the social interactions that gave rise to Penguin's translation of Spanish and Latin American Poetry during the 1950s, 60s, and 70s. Drawing on the Actor-Network Theory of Bruno Latour, it traces the editorial discussions that led to the adoption and abandonment of different translation policies: the dual-language subseries of the Penguin Poets, which employed prose translation; and the verse translation of the Penguin Modern European and Latin American Poets. Often regarded as an institution, Penguin is revealed as a focal point for conflicting initiatives that came from within and without the organization.