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“Straddling Languages”: Aspects of the Translational and the Transnational in the Work of Afrikaans Authors Breyten Breytenbach, Marlene van Niekerk and Antjie Krog

Summary This article proceeds from the vantage point that the “transnational” and the “translational” are important concepts when discussing the processes of cultural literary signification taking place under the various conditions of displacement and migration the world has witnessed throughout the course of history. The article explores the notion of “translational literature” (as defined by Waïl Hassan) as a means to mediate between different languages and to connect cultures. Translational texts foreground, perform and problematise the act of translation by “straddling” two languages in their construction and presentation. The article proceeds from the vantage point of texts written in the minor language Afrikaans, but constructed and presented in such a way that they include or reach out to other languages. The focus falls on the way in which texts by Breyten Breytenbach (Oorblyfsel/Voice Over 2009), Marlene van Niekerk (De sneeuwslaper 2009, Die sneeuslaper 2010) and Antjie Krog (Mede-wete 2014, Synapse 2014) try to straddle the divide between Afrikaans and languages such as Arabic, English, Dutch and Xhosa. It looks at the way in which these texts stage the act of translation as a way of declaring solidarity with other cultural groups, exploit the connection with other languages to revitalise Afrikaans and also demonstrate the failure of translation.