Supporting Portuguese translations abroad

Divergences and convergences between Portugal and Brazil

Abstract

Based on recent research on state programs for supporting translation and publishing abroad literary works by Brazilian and Portuguese authors and other Portuguese-speaking authors, this paper seeks to draw an overview of the scope, effects and structures of such initiatives. Although they have been discussed quite a lot, such programs have rarely been the object of in-depth reflection; usually only promotional texts written by state and market agents take a slightly more reflective look at this topic. However, views about support and subsidies offered by national states to disseminate and promote their literature, authors and languages around the world are still overly apologetic and descriptive. We argue here that such programs affect not only the dynamics of literary circulation of a country, but also that of the whole linguistic area in which it is located. At this point, the case of the Portuguese language is emblematic and expressive, with Portugal and Brazil using a same language, though often having a relationship characterized by high degrees of asymmetry and economic, political and symbolic antagonism. Thus, we intend to show how programs maintained by national states in support of literary translations to promote a set of authors and works, beyond being instruments of struggle for visibility in the global publishing market, by targeting the global dimension also cause important regional and local effects.