Australia and Its German-Speaking Readers. A Study of How German Publishers Have Imagined Their Readers of Australian Literature

Abstract

The article is concerned with the German-speaking readers of Australian literature. It analyses the dust jackets (blurbs and cover illustrations) of 401 translated Australian books. It asks: what are the specific strategies of making Australian literature appealing to German-speaking readers? How are German-speaking readers of Australian literature thus invented? And are there any historic shifts in re-inventing the German-speaking reader? One of the findings is that the construction of Australia and its German-speaking readers has not been homogeneous throughout history but has undergone perceptible change. I also argue that the invention of a specifically gendered readership has been a crucial component of the marketing of Australian literature in German translation.