Publishing Translations : Flows, Patterns, and Power-Dynamics in the Swedish Book Market after 1970

Abstract: The doctoral thesis investigates the role of translations in the Swedish book market between 1970 and 2016 in two sub-studies. The sub-studies are based on statistical and bibliometric methodology via two different datasets covering print editions. Via the publishing statistics, general patterns in the Swedish book market have been analysed, such as the significance of individual cultural transmitters for specific source languages, the growing number of small publishing houses specialised in translations, the decreasing number of translations published by larger publishing houses, and the overall importance of the state subsidy for translated literature. Theoretical approaches have been inspired by Pierre Bourdieu, Pascale Casanova, David Damrosch, and Johan Heilbron.Study I investigates the publishing trajectories of 45 translated Nobel laureates between 1970 and 2016. Small publishing houses have become increasingly more important for translated high-prestige literature, and the importance of medium-size publishers has diminished. Large publishing houses have been significant for the introduction and overall publishing of the laureates, although their publishing decisions appear to be more connected to guarantees of attention and prestige in the later decades of the study than the earlier. The Nobel Prize in many cases reintroduces authors that otherwise may have been forgotten by the Swedish market.Study II investigates the publishing of prose fiction translations from French, German, and Spanish between 1970 and 2016. In the period, translations from German and French have generally migrated from large to small publishing houses, and smaller publishing houses have become more important for the three languages over time. Translations from Spanish are to a greater extent published by larger publishing houses in the late decades of the study. The number of editions has decreased over time, and medium-size publishing houses have lost their importance. Small publishing houses have been essential for the publishing of female authors, especially after 2005.