The Paul Zsolnay publishing company and the translations (1924–1938)

At the end of the last century, French sociologist Pierre Bourdieu (1999) highlighted the relevance of publishing field research for translation studies. Gisele Sapiro (2008) underlined that the sociological approach to translation needs to consider publishers, whose role in the international circulation of books is crucial. Listing three variables that influence the success of translated literary works – the centrality of the target language, the centrality of the place where the translation is published, and the symbolic capital of the publisher 53 – Sapiro points to the central role of the publisher as a mediator between the author and the society (though not mentioning the translator!), as well as to the publisher’s role in the destiny of a translated literary work.