Justine Breton – författare

This study traces the editorial journey of Andrzej Sapkowski's fantasy work from Poland to the world, focusing on the stages of dissemination, translation, and publishing that Wiedźmin (The Witcher) has been undergoing in Europe. The analysis focuses on the author's intentions and those of his editorial teams in different countries, considering the target audiences, the successive translations and the series in which the volumes of The Witcher have been published. Doing so, it aims at questioning the specificities of translating fantasy fiction, especially from a lesser-known European language and with stories filled with multicultural folkloric references. It also studies how the various adaptations of the cycle have had an impact over its development and diffusion. The analysis is centered on Europe, where the process has been particularly dense, but it is occasionally completed with the impact of The Witcher in other regions of the world, including Asia and South America.

A critical deep-drive into conceptions of power and society in Terry Pratchett’s Discworld novels, this book brings together experts in fantasy literature, political sciences, economics, philosophy, history, and journalism to consider the intricate social tapestry of one of the most intricate worlds in modern fantasy. Surveying the Discworld’s institutionalised power structures from government and police to civil services, banks and societies, it explores ideas such as language, translation, humour, crowds, community, justice and coercion in the series’ major works. Featuring analyses of novels such as Men at Arms, Equal Rites, Carpe Jugulum, Guards! Guards!, Jingo, Night Watch, Wyrd Sisters, Witches Abroad and many more, this collection illuminates how Pratchett juxtaposed his narratives with contemporary reflections on social constructs. Broken down into parts looking at social power dynamics, building and destroying worlds and the power of language, the book offers a much-needed corrective to the dearth of scholarship on one of fantasy literature’s worldbuilding titans.