Emily Wilson, the first woman to translate Homer’s “The Odyssey” into English, has announced that she is undertaking a complete retransaltion of the ancient Greek epic, nearly a decade after her widely acclaimed 2017 edition was published. Wilson revealed the project in a statement on Friday, describing it as a fresh start rather than a revision of her earlier work.
Wilson’s initial translation, released by W.W. Norton & Company, gained significant attention for its modern sensibility while maintaining fidelity to the original poem, which dates back roughly 2,800 years. The translation achieved bestseller status and sold over one million copies, with sales surging around the release of Christopher Nolan’s recent film adaptation of “The Odyssey.” Nolan had cited Wilson’s translation as an influence on the movie prior to her public criticism of his rendition.
In her latest statement, Wilson said the new translation will adopt an approach similar to her rendition of Homer’s “The Iliad,” employing a slightly expanded line count to allow for greater variation in pacing and word length. She also plans to include far more extensive endnotes to provide readers with additional context. The project is expected to take several years to complete.
Wilson expressed pride in her 2017 work, highlighting its success in capturing the rhythm and vibrancy of Homeric poetry. Her editor, Peter Simon of Liveright Publishing, voiced enthusiasm for the new translation, calling it a “thrilling” undertaking given Wilson’s deep engagement with the text over many years.
The decision to retranslate a work already published by the same translator is unusual in the literary world, noted Katrine Ogaard Jensen, executive director of the American Literary Translators Association. While revising or tweaking translations for new editions is common, wholly retranslating a previously released book is rare. Jensen cited a comparable example in 2019 when Ros Schwartz retranslated the Belgian novel “I Who Have Never Known Men” after an initial 1997 edition.
Wilson’s renewed engagement with “The Odyssey” comes after her critical review of Nolan’s film adaptation, published earlier this year in The London Review of Books, where she faulted the movie for lacking emotional, psychological, and thematic depth. She described the film as prioritizing style over substance and criticized its narrative structure and characterization. Wilson’s pointed critique sparked debate about the balance between commercial appeal and literary fidelity. Nolan, whose 2023 film “Oppenheimer” won seven Academy Awards, has not publicly responded to the criticism.
Despite her reservations about the adaptation, Wilson initially welcomed the increased public interest in Homer’s tale generated by the film’s release, hoping it would inspire new audiences to engage with the original poem. As chairwoman of the University of Pennsylvania’s classical studies department, she remains deeply committed to exploring how ancient texts can be rendered accessible and compelling for contemporary readers.
The retransaltion project reflects both Wilson’s scholarly dedication and the ongoing cultural relevance of Homer’s epics more than two millennia after they were first composed.