Publication of Translated Children’s Literature: The Current State, Challenges and Selection Factors

This descriptive study used data from observations, interviews and questionnaires to explore the present state of the publication of translated children’s literature into Persian in Iran with focus on the challenges and the influential factors on translation and publication of this literature. Based on a triangulated method, a purposive selection of professional Iranian translators and prominent publishing agents were interviewed. Also, over 120 parents and their children at primary school were asked to complete two originally-designed questionnaires. Grounded theory procedures were used and the data was analyzed qualitatively. The findings reveal some reasons for the present greater tendency towards publishing translated children’s literature compared to original work in Persian, including Iran’s not being party to international copyright agreements and as such low cost of translated literature due to the omission of illustration and authorship fees, availability of numerous low-charging translators, the vast diversity in international market, the limited number of world-level Iranian authors in competition with the large number of internationally-recognized writers of children’s literature, as well as the easy access of Iranian translators to internationally-recognized foreign children’s literature. Some of the criteria for the selection and translation of the foreign children’s literature refers to the needs analysis, translators’ recall of childhood memories, producing work of great value. Some of the challenges in this filed concern varieties of retranslations, unavailability of certain necessities, and commissioning issues. The developed model presents the influential factors and agents in the publication of translated children’s literature in Iran.