ABSTRACT
This chapter discusses selected aspects of the editorial framing of the translations of Jorge Semprún’s novel, Le mort qu’il faut, published in 2001. In particular, it compares the Spanish and Polish editions of this book as the contexts of their reception were very different in these two countries. In Poland, Semprún’s prose has been published since the 1960s, closely following the original editions. In the author’s homeland, his works could appear only after General Franco’s death and the political breakthrough that followed, as the author was an active member of the exiled Communist Party of Spain. What is more, the literature discussing the Second World War did not start to be published in Spain until the end of the twentieth century and only became widely known at the beginning of the new millennium. Our analysis focuses on the editorial strategies regarding Semprún’s book in both countries as reflected in their paratextual framing. We are addressing to what extent the publishers intended to meet readers’ expectations by taking into account their historical knowledge about the Second World War. We also analyse on what grounds they made adjustments to the translations in the new contexts.
