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Emily Wilson Is Retranslating The Odyssey

Her new edition follows the style of her Iliad, expands endnotes, and revises key English word choices to reflect Greek distinctions.

Overview

  • Wilson confirmed she is starting a complete retranslation of The Odyssey rather than revising her 2017 text and says she is about halfway through the work.
  • She plans to use more lines and more varied pacing, mirroring the formal approach of her 2023 Iliad, and to include far more endnotes to explain her choices.
  • Wilson told reporters she now believes she overused the English word "slave" in 2017 and will distinguish different categories of enslaved people in the new translation.
  • Public attention to the project rose after director Christopher Nolan cited her edition and sales of her 2017 Odyssey spiked while she publicly criticized his film.
  • Scholars say it is rare for a translator to retranslate a recent bestseller and the new edition could affect teaching, classroom editions, and which version readers use.