ABSTRACT
The national image that was discussed in Chapters 9 and 10 inevitably permeates the writing of individuals, whether their version of events is supportive or critical of the state. In this chapter we see how individuals record those events, in personal writing such as autobiography, and how the writing is packaged by editors and publishers. What are in effect historical records written from a personal point of view might appear to be unproblematic for the translator. Nevertheless, these detailed, sometimes quite large books may require some adjustment in translation. Autobiography and biography are the factual face of literature. They provide the histories and personalities for the legends, novels, plays and poems that come later. Many novels are ‘autobiographical’, for a fi ction writer will exploit personal experience and adventures to create material for a readable story. Conversely, fi ction has since time immemorial been used to present the happenings of real life.
