Invited review of Javier Franco Aixelá & Christian Olalla-Soler (eds) (2022). 50 Years Later. What Have We Learnt after Holmes (1972) and Where Are We Now?

Abstract

Daniel Linder reviews a 2022 volume edited by Franco Aixelá and Olalla-Soler that assesses the 50-year evolution of Translation Studies (TS) following James S. Holmes’s 1972 framework. The book’s seven surveys highlight a "dramatic evolution" in the field, including a "publishing diaspora" where women have recently become the most productive scholars. Key findings advocate for integrating technology as a core component of TS and recognize the discipline's shift toward "Translation and Interpreting Studies" (TIS). Linder praises the volume's empirical data and "well-designed visuals". However, he notes a geographic bias toward Western Europe, leaving "blind spots" in Africa, Asia, and the Americas. He also critiques minor editorial errors and suggests the title should have explicitly referenced Holmes's "map". Ultimately, he recommends the collection for its insight into how the discipline "remembers its own origins".