Les Belles Étrangères

Book excerpt: While translation history in Canada is well documented, the history of the translation of Canadian fiction outside the nation remains obscure. Les Belles Étrangères examines the translation of Canadian English-language fiction in France. This book considers the history of this practice, the reasons for the move away from Quebec translators as well as the process and perils involved in this detour. Within a theoretical framework and drawing on primary sources, this study considers the historical, theoretical, and concrete aspects of this practice through the study of the translations of authors such as Robertson Davies, Carol Shields, Margaret Atwood, Michael Ondaatje, Ann-Marie MacDonald, and Alistair MacLeod. The book also includes a comprehensive bibliography of English-language novels, poetry, and plays published and translated in France over the past 240 years.