Transcultural literacies in online collaboration: a case study of fanfiction translation from Russian into English

Abstract

This study analyses the transcultural meaning-making and literacies that arise during the amateur translation of a fanfiction novel from Russian to English. We applied digital ethnography to make observations of the translation process and interviews with the participants. Transcultural meaning-making was identified during their discussions on how to adapt a Russian fanfiction novel for a global English-speaking readership. During the discussions the participants creatively mixed different linguistic and cultural resources. They also positioned themselves as mediators between two readerships, which pushed them to reflect on literary and philosophical traditions of the Russian and English-speaking cultures and engage in transcultural literacies.