English Translation and Classical Reception: Towards a New Literary History

“Stuart Gillespie’s English Translation and Classical Reception is a beneficiary of this ferment, supplemented by the author’s comprehensive knowledge of translation history, translation theory, and the growing bibliography in his field.”  (Modern Philology, 1 August 2014)

"Overall, this volume will be a key resource for the study of creative translation of classical texts in English, and thoroughly succeeds in emphasising its importance in the history of English literature. Its author's unmatched grasp of the range of the source material is a great benefit...." (Bmcreview, 8 February 2012)

“Taken together, the various case studies of the book express an energetic engagement with the rich inheritance of classical literature and its complex role in and through English translation.”  (CJ-Online, 5 September 2012)

“This bold book is a welcome challenge to sacred tenets of English literary history. Gillespie brilliantly and rigorously forces us to face the inconvenient truth of the role of classical translation in English literature.”
Susanna Braund, University of British Columbia

“We have long needed this meta-history explaining the canon of literary translations and its strategic omissions. Gillespie’s magisterial survey gives the pleasure of a conspective view clearly expressed.”
Alastair Fowler, University of Edinburgh

“An inspiring and astringent polemic on behalf of translation, the creative carriage into English of Homer, Virgil, Lucretius and others, and its vitalizing effect on literary tradition.”
Adrian Poole, University of Cambridge

“These carefully crafted studies by a leading expert in translation studies collectively make an overwhelming case for the centrality of literary translation in the history both of English literature and of the reception of classical antiquity.”
Philip Hardie, Trinity College, Cambridge

“A brilliant guide to the major issues that drive translation studies, equally illuminating on both lost or neglected works and on some of the most familiar masterpieces, ancient and modern.”
Joseph Farrell, University of Pennsylvania