Experience and/or knowledge?

Abstract In early 2021, the Dutch publisher Meulenhoff was criticized for assigning the translation of black American poet Amanda Gorman’s poem to a white author, Marieke Lucas Rijneveld. Gorman had recited her poem “The Hill We Climb” on 20 January 2021 at the inauguration ceremony of U.S. President John Biden. Following the controversy, Rijneveld decided to decline her translation job, and the Dutch publisher replaced her with a black translator. This change subsequently angered many translators who openly challenged the Dutch publisher’s decision, asserting that translators can and should have the right to translate anything, regardless of whether or not they share the same characteristics and identities as their authors — or what is defined as “positionality.” This article explores the question of positionality in literary translation using some concrete examples and interviews with international authors such as Edouard Louis and Annie Ernaux, reflecting on the influence of both experience and knowledge.