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Bassnett focusses on the work of poet and classical scholar, Josephine Balmer. Balmer's strategy as a translator is to engage first in close study of the texts themselves and the history of classical commentary, then to use her skills as a poet to create versions for contemporary readers. The chapter examines her work from the ground-breaking collection of ancient Greek women writers to her most recent translations. What is significant about Balmer's work is that she has used translating to expand her range as a poet, deliberately blurring the lines between "translation" and "original". In essays and prefaces, she develops her own theory of translation as rewriting. Balmer is one of the most original poet-translators of our time, and also one of the most self-aware.

DOI: 10.1007/978-3-319-75753-7_17

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