Writers Translating Writers: Gianni Celati's Version of Jack London's "The Cali of the Wild"

Abstract

The Cali of the Wild marked Jack London's rise to fame; it was an instant success and is generally acclaimed as his masterpiece. As H. L. Mencken wrote of him: "No other popular writer of his time did any better writing than you will find in The Cali of the Wild'. Since its first publication by Macmillan in 1903 it has continued to be read avidly by children and adults alike. Gianni Celati's 1986 translation of 'The Cali of the Wild' appears in the Einaudi series "Scrittori tradotti da scrittori" which includes the translations of many classics by writers such as Natalia Ginzburg (Madame Bovary) and Giorgio Manganelli (Poe's short stories) who also gained recognition as translators. Part of the appeal of this series lies in reading the work of a famous writer interpreted by a well-known writer from another period; indeed, the book-jacket gives equal prominence to the author and to the translator-author.