Crossing the Wine-Dark Sea: Journeys through Ancient Literature - Paperback

A lively and thought-provoking exploration of translation, classical literature, and the enduring power of ancient stories to find new meaning in every age.

How do we give old words new voices?

What must a translator lose—and what might they gain—when moving between languages and bringing ancient stories into the modern world?

In Crossing the Wine-Dark Sea, acclaimed translator Emily Wilson explores these fascinating questions through a wide-ranging journey across languages, cultures and centuries. Drawing on a lifetime spent translating and studying literature, she examines the choices translators make and the powerful ways those choices can shape how we understand a story.

Wilson also offers fresh insight into her own celebrated work translating Homer, exploring how ancient texts can be renewed for modern readers without losing their depth, complexity or vitality.

From changing portrayals of Helen of Troy and ancient Athenian comedy to Cardi B, Han Kang and Rome's long fascination with Greek culture, this book moves freely between the classical and the contemporary.

Playful, illuminating and deeply engaging, Crossing the Wine-Dark Sea is a fascinating voyage into translation, interpretation and the endless reinvention of great literature.