English Translation of the Collection of Poems Drobtine iz mišje doline by Anja Štefan: Domestication and Foreignization in Nada Grošelj’s Translation

Authors

Natalia Kaloh Vid
University of Maribor, Faculty of Arts
https://orcid.org/0000-0002-2367-7319
Mihaela Koletnik
University of Maribor, Faculty of Arts
https://orcid.org/0000-0002-7060-5692

Synopsis

One of the commonest challenges in translating children's literature is defining the extent to which the translator is allowed, or even required, to domesticate and adapt the text, as the translator's dilemma when selecting appropriate strategies is further complicated by the need to bring the original as close as possible to young readers. The concept of a »faithful translation« becomes even less significant in the translation of poetry, especially children’s poetry, since the purpose of translation is to recreate the poem in the target language while primarily preserving its rhyme and rhythm. The article focuses on the translation methods used by the famous Slovenian translator Nada Grošelj in her translation of Anja Štefan's award-winning children's poetry collection Drobtine iz mišje doline/Tunes from Mousedale Dunes, which received the Večernica Award in 2019. The aim of the analysis is to examine the translation solutions offered by translation into English, including the adaptation of personal names and culturally specific elements, as well as nursery rhymes and onomatopoeic expressions.

Author Biographies

Natalia Kaloh Vid, University of Maribor, Faculty of Arts

Natalia Kaloh Vid is an associate professor of translation and interpreting at the Department of Translation Studies, Faculty of Arts, University of Maribor. She holds a double doctorate in the field of translation of English literature and contemporary Russian literature. Her research interests include intercultural communication, literary translation, the influence of ideology on literary translations, and the modernization of translations. She is the author of six scientific monographs in the field of literature and literary translation. She has participated in numerous international projects and led the Erasmus+ EDU-FIT project. She has lectured as a visiting professor at universities in Scotland, Ireland, Croatia, Poland, Romania, Austria, and Serbia.

Maribor, Slovenia. E-mail: natalia.vid@um.si

Mihaela Koletnik, University of Maribor, Faculty of Arts

Mihaela Koletnik is a full professor of the Slovene language at the Faculty of Arts, University of Maribor, where she teaches courses in the field of diachrony of the Slovene language. Her research focuses on northeastern Slovene dialects, dialect terminology, dialect phraseology, the phenomenon of introducing foreign language elements into dialects in the border area, and the new role of dialects in the context of globalization, especially their use in the media and popular culture. She is the author or co-author of more than 120 scientific papers and five scientific monographs. So far, she has participated in several projects and program groups and led the international project TEMPUS SHEQA Strategis Management of Higher Education Institutions Based on Integral Quality Assurance System. As a visiting professor, she has lectured at universities in Austria, Italy, Lithuania, Poland, Hungary, and Croatia.

Maribor, Slovenia. E-mail: mihaela.koletnik@um.si

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Published

August 3, 2026

How to Cite

Kaloh Vid, N., & Koletnik, M. (2026). English Translation of the Collection of Poems Drobtine iz mišje doline by Anja Štefan: Domestication and Foreignization in Nada Grošelj’s Translation . In D. Haramija (Ed.), Trideset let literarne nagrade večernica. University of Maribor Press. https://doi.org/10.18690/um.pef.3.2026.12