This comparative study looks at the way English books for girls are imported and translated
into Dutch and Flemish culture. Fiction for girls has existed in Flanders and the Netherlands
for more than one hundred years and started with the translation of Little Women into Dutch in
1876. Original fiction for girls in Dutch has developed especially in the Netherlands.
Translations from English German and French played an important role in developing the genre
over time and Flanders plays an important role in bringing translations of narrative fiction
for girls on the Dutch-Flemish market. Translations take many forms and the way a narrative is
translated can vary a lot. It is often assumed that only the best of other cultures is
translated but that is not really the case. A large proportion of the translations analyzed in
this study are popular fiction series which were heavily adapted and changed in the translation
process. The same is true of classic girls' texts such as Little Women which are often
unrecognizable in translation. However not all translations take that many liberties with the
original and many award-winning books are translated in a faithful way.
