Lifting language: Bill Manhire's Lifted in Italian translation

Abstract

This is a translation project thesis. I have produced a complete, annotated translation into Italian of Lifted, Bill Manhire's latest collection of poems. Published in Wellington by Victoria University Press in 2005, Lifted won the author his fourth Montana Book of the Year Award in 2006. The UK edition of the book, released by Carcanet Press, came out in February 2007. The thesis also includes, in Italian, an annotated commentary to each translation and an essay on poetry translation; and, as appendices: the translation of an unpublished poem by Bill Manhire, 'Captain Scott', which will be published in the London Review of Books later this year; the translation of 'Echoes and Quirks', David Wheatley's review of Lifted, published in The Guardian earlier this year; and my own review in English of Lifted, which will appear in Poetry Ireland Review (91) in October. As a unifying title, I have called this thesis 'Lifting Language'. Walter Benjamin maintained that translation is the afterlife of the original. The Italian afterlife of Lifted is well on the way. Several translations have been accepted for publication in Poesia, edited by Nicola Crocetti, and in Testo a fronte, edited by Franco Buffoni. Several more are being considered by the editorial boards of other literary journals: Carte allineate, inTRAlinea, Translation Ireland, Translation Studies. A dual-language, limited edition of 50 numbered copies autographed by Manhire of the poem 'Opoutere' is in print (Balerna: Edizioni Ulivo, 25 pp). A dual-language, limited edition of 50 numbered copies of three other poems-'Dogs', 'Erebus Voices' and 'Captain Scott'-will be published by Edizioni Ulivo on 27 December, Bill Manhire's birthday. The complete translation of Lifted has been submitted to three leading publishers: Adelphi, Crocetti Editore and MarcosyMarcos. Finally, I would like record my heartfelt gratitude to a number of people: to Prof. Brian Moloughney, Head of the School of Asian and European Languages and Cultures, and to Morna Lorden, School Manager, for supporting this translation project thesis, financially as well as academically; to my supervisor, Claudia Bernardi, for her expertise, guidance and encouragement; Umberto Eco, Prof. Roger Little and Prof. George Steiner, masters and mentors; to Prof. Franco Buffoni, Prof. Michael Cronin, Prof. Riccardo Duranti and Prof. Cormac O'Cuilleanáin for their illuminating and inspiring example; to Dr. Jean Anderson and Dr. Sarah (Sally) Hill, colleagues and fellow translators, for their support and suggestions; to Prof. Mason Durie, for his wisdom and kindness; to Nina Cuccurullo, for her friendship, understanding and constant support with heavy teaching and administration; to Dora Malech and Domenico lannaco, fellow poets and translators, for their friendship and writing; to all my students, for keeping my English and my Italian in check; to Carmen and Wolf-Rainer Seemann for their constant thoughts and generous hospitality; to my family-my mother Marilena, my father Mario and my brother Gabriele-and to Julia-uplifting light lifted from the world of fairies-for their unconditional love and support.