The Translation Trade: Economies of Culture in the Nineteenth Century

This chapter examines the trade of translations in nineteenth-century Ireland and, in particular, the influential agency and patronage of publishers in driving the circulation of translations. Using the case study of the Dublin publisher, James Duffy, the chapter looks at the importance of translations in his trade and how his publications both moulded and responded to emerging Irish reading trends. The expansion of the reading public, technological advances and changes in copyright laws all contributed to unfolding possibilities in the world of letters in Ireland. This chapter examines the commercial success of certain types of translation and the dramatic rise of James Duffy on the back of a strong translation trade.