Val: readings for 2/4

Raw and Cooked. The Vegetarian succeeded internationally because it fits a ready-made ideological and aesthetic template. Neither critics nor prize judges know the original language, yet they selected what Tim Parks  considers a questionable work: he clearly highlighted a recurring mismatch between voice, style, and content. What gets framed as translation “foreignness” can easily be mistaken for depth. The result is a kind of critical blind spot. Critics should be far more cautious about celebrating translations we cannot actually verify. 

Deborah Smith. Quote: "“For Smith, word-for-word fidelity or accuracy is not relevant; instead, she takes liberties with the source text to produce creative writing in English and to pursue the literary autonomy of the translator.” What does the this literary autonomy of the translator mean?