Introduction and overview: Crime (fiction) in translation

Abstract

This is an introduction to definitions of crime fiction, its sub-genres, key features and how these impact on and shape translation strategies. It considers the status quo of research into the field and suggests areas for future work. As an example of genre-specific translation challenges, a more detailed discussion of Inge Löhnig’s novel So unselig schön (2011) considers how lexical cohesion and intertextual allusions are used to generate clues, create character constructs, and manage suspense and considers what challenges this network of key words and allusions creates for translation. The introduction concludes with a short summary of the articles in this issue.