Translation in nineteenth-century periodicals

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Abstract This article argues that when considering periodicals as “carriers” of foreign texts, attention must be paid to the modalities of this form of publication, and the manner in which periodicals enable and condition access to texts. The article examines not just the transnational circuits of communication of periodicals, but also the discursive practices, the agency, and the dynamic and distinct modalities of the periodical form. The nineteenth century witnessed an unprecedented expansion of periodical publishing and this article uses the case study of a nineteenth-century periodical, the Dublin University Magazine, in order to question the cultural transfers taking place, the positioning of translations within the publication, the significance of the medium of communication, and the challenges posed when studying translation in periodicals. Drawing on book history approaches, the article focuses on integrating the study of the translations within their publication context, examining how the mutable and ephemeral form of the periodical allowed for expanded textual discourses and also for widened participation in the translation enterprise.