Sir Wyndham Henry Deedes: a Portrait of the Translator as a Cultural Ambassador

Abstract

Sir Wyndham Henry Deedes (1883-1956) was an eminent British Army officer, civil administrator and a Turcophile, known for his literary translations from Turkish into English. This article examines his cross-cultural transfer practices, specifically his writings and interlingual literary translations by discussing his contributions to the promotion of Turkish culture in a British context. Furthermore, the study problematizes the notion of the cultural mediator and the contexts influencing and influenced by Deedes' leading role, which caused him to act as a cultural communicative agent and an idea maker. The overall aim of this study is to contribute to the formulation of translation history through the microhistorical study of Deedes as a translation agent and the personal and social motives behind his translation decisions. It concludes that Deedes' decisions were driven by not only his interest in Turkish culture and people, but also his position as an idea maker who found it vital to introduce the new Turkish Republic to the British audience and to promote Turco-British relations.