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Article published In:
Literary translatorship in digital contexts
Edited by Wenqian Zhang, Motoko Akashi and Peter Jonathan Freeth
[Translation in Society 3:1] 2024
► pp. 40–60

The instafamous translator

Exploring the manifestations of Francesca Crescentini’s literary translatorship on social media platforms

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This article investigates how translator and content creator Francesca Crescentini (@tegamini) uses social media to make herself and her translatorship visible in a digital context. Boasting an Instagram following of over 210,000 users, Crescentini is understood here as a unique example of an ‘instafamous’ translator and macro-influencer, which gives her and her translatorship an unprecedented level of public exposure – particularly in the Italian context in which she works, where translator visibility is typically low. The analysis of Crescentini’s case presents new insights into how literary translators can leverage their online and social media presence to enhance both their own visibility and that of literary translation more broadly.

Keywords: paratext, social media, translatorship, translator studies, translator celebrity, translator brand, translator visibility
Article outline
  • 1.Introduction
  • 2.Theoretical framework
    • 2.1Paratextual translatorship and digital paratexts
    • 2.2Social media fame and translator fame: Differences and commonalities
      • 2.2.1New celebrities: Micro- and macro-influencers
      • 2.2.2Celebrity translators and translator brand
    • 2.3Translators and influencers: Common strategies for fame
  • 3.Literary translators in the Italian context
  • 4.Establishing Francesca Crescentini’s translatorship
  • 5.Digital paratextual translatorship: Crescentini’s case
  • 6.Conclusions
  • Notes
  • References
Published online: 7 March 2024
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https://doi.org/10.1075/tris.23014.fin
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