Keep to the local or aim for the global? Issues at the borders of a minority language

Abstract

This paper takes a look at the paradoxical situation faced by writers of minority languages in countries in which English is a strong second language. The choice of whether to write in Maltese for a very small readership, to write directly in English giving the language a local flavour, or to rely on translation is based on a range of considerations examined here. Language choice and issues of post-colonial identity played a strong role in the last decades of the 20th century, however these considerations seem to have been left behind as recent writing embraces a bilingual strategy that reflects actual language use and code-switching practices. This new style, in line with international trends, poses its own set of problems when it comes to translation into English. Perhaps collaborative re-writing rather than translation which creates a similar but not identical text is the only possible solution.