Abstract
André Brink (1935–2015) was an eminent South African writer, particularly known for his novels portraying the realities of apartheid South Africa. This chapter examines the notion of discursive transfer practices, specifically writing, self-translation and bilingual writing, by discussing Brink’s work. It is argued that the notion of the cultural mediator needs to be problematised, and that the contexts influencing and influenced by Brink’s discursive transfer practices be considered alongside his cultural products. In doing so, concepts such as “mediator”, “source culture”, “translation” and even “transfer” gain additional levels of meaning, inviting us to reflect on the assumptions that are often inherently implied when we use them.
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List of Brink’s Works Referred To
Brink, A. P. 1962. Lobola vir die lewe. Cape Town: Human & Rousseau.
Brink, A. P. 1963. Die ambassadeur. Cape Town: Human & Rousseau.
Brink, A. P. 1967. Aspekte van die nuwe prosa. Pretoria: Academica.
Brink, A. P. 1973. Kennis van die aand. Cape Town: Human & Rousseau.
Brink, A. P. 1974. Looking on Darkness. London: W. H. Allen.
Brink, A. P. 1983. Mapmakers: Writing in a State of Siege. London: Faber & Faber.
Brink, A. P. 1984. The Wall of the Plague. London: Faber & Faber.
Brink, A. P. 1985. The Ambassador. London: Faber & Faber.
Brink, A. P. 1996. Reinventing a Continent: Revisiting History in the Literature of the New South Africa: A Personal Testimony. World Literature Today 70 (1): 17–23.
Brink, A. P. 1998a. Devil’s Valley. London: Vintage.
Brink, A. P. 1998b. Duiwelskloof. Cape Town: Human & Rousseau.
Brink, A. P. 2005a. Bidsprinkaan. Cape Town: Human & Rousseau.
Brink, A. P. 2005b. Praying Mantis. London: Vintage.
Brink, A. P. 2008a. Ander Lewens. Cape Town: Human & Rousseau.
Brink, A. P. 2008b. Other Lives. Cape Town: Random House.
Brink, A. P. 2009a. A Fork in the Road: A Memoir. London: Harvill Secker.
Brink, A. P. 2009b. ’n Vurk in die pad: ’n memoir. Cape Town: Human & Rousseau.
Brink, A. P. 2012. Philida. London: Vintage.
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De Roubaix, L. (2018). Moving “Out of the Laager” and “Betraying the Tribe”: André Brink as Cultural Mediator. In: Roig-Sanz, D., Meylaerts, R. (eds) Literary Translation and Cultural Mediators in 'Peripheral' Cultures. New Comparisons in World Literature. Palgrave Macmillan, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-78114-3_11
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