Karin Michaëlis' Bibi books

Karin Michaëlis (18721950) was one of the most important Danish authors of the early 20th century and achieved enormous international success with her Bibi books about the life and adventures of a free-spirited Danish girl named Bibi. The series was not particularly popular in the author's native country, however. This book unravels the intricate reasons behind the strikingly asymmetrical reception of the Bibi series at home and abroad while at the same time deconstructing this home-abroad dichotomy by showing that the Bibi books are an example of transnational children's literature. They did not have their home in Denmark in that Karin Michaëlis wrote them specifically for foreign publishers, first and foremost the German Herbert Stuffer. The book further argues that the Danish texts are rewritings rather than originals and explores some of the salient textual features of the Danish and German Bibi books. Finally, it examines the series' reception by young Italian readers in Fascist Italy and Karin Michaëlis' Italian translator.

Autorentext

Anna Wegener is currently the Amanuensis for The Danish Academy in Rome and, from spring 2021, will be an Assistant Professor (Ricercatrice) in Scandinavian Languages and Literatures at the University of Florence. Her main research interests are translation studies, children's literature, the history of cultural relations between Scandinavia and Italy, language didactics, and the Italian reception of H. C. Andersen.

Klappentext

Karin Michaëlis (1872 1950) was one of the most important Danish authors of the early 20th century and achieved enormous international success with her Bibi books about the life and adventures of a free-spirited Danish girl named Bibi. The series was not particularly popular in the author s native country, however. This book unravels the intricate reasons behind the strikingly asymmetrical reception of the Bibi series at home and abroad while at the same time deconstructing this home-abroad dichotomy by showing that the Bibi books are an example of transnational children s literature. They did not have their home in Denmark in that Karin Michaëlis wrote them specifically for foreign publishers, first and foremost the German Herbert Stuffer. The book further argues that the Danish texts are rewritings rather than originals and explores some of the salient textual features of the Danish and German Bibi books. Finally, it examines the series reception by young Italian readers in Fascist Italy and Karin Michaëlis Italian translator.