The Reciprocal Translation Project

The Reciprocal Translation Project showcases the work of twelve leading innovators in poetry, six writing in English and six in Chinese. These poets combine many methods of translation to open up new possibilities for trans-cultural literature. Each poem is first literally translated by a bilingual translator and then poetically translated by three poets of the other language. Instead of a single translation, The Reciprocal Translation Project gives readers one literal translation and three poetic translations for each piece, acting in concert and conversation. In this collection, one reads these twelve writers as both poets and translators, as they blur the boundaries between conventional categories.