Cultural Mediators, Humanism and Militancy: Cypriot Literature Translated from Greek into Italian in Book Form from 1967 to 1999

Abstract

This contribution aims to take the first steps towards mapping translations of Greek-Cypriot literature into Italian. Based on a methodological approach that combines Bourdieu’s field theory with Even-Zohar’s polysystem theory, the field of modern Greek-Cypriot literature translated into Italian appears to be organized around several poles, which can be either individuals or organizational environments. This paper explores the first phase in the history of Greek-Cypriot literature in Italian, spanning the years 1967 to 1999, during which the main actors in the field are militant individuals who, through personal initiative and effort, pursue objectives related to the development of national-state literature or cultural mediation between Cyprus, Greece, and Italy. The key figures of this period are Margherita Dalmati, Kypros Chrysanthis at the helm of the EPOK association, and Michele Iannelli. In the conclusions, some notes are added that aim to offer a preliminary definition of the role of the cultural mediator in the editorial context.