Writing and translating in the multilingual city

Abstract

ABSTRACT This article provides an overview of the author’s previous and current research in which the focus has been on the translator, with particular attention paid to literary translators who are also writers. It highlights the setting of large, multicultural cities which are sites of linguistic and cultural exchange. For historical and political reasons, Canada and Montreal more specifically have provided fertile ground for the work of translators. The Canadian linguistic landscape has spawned a number of writer-translators – such as Michel Garneau, Lori Saint-Martin, and Pierre Anctil, who are examined here. In a rich and copious body of work, they cross borders between writing and translating, making important contributions to the field of literature and the humanities more broadly.