It’s not all about the crime but it’s also about food: translating references to French regional food in Fred Vargas’ Adamsberg novels

This article examines how references to French regional food in two of Fred Vargas’ bestselling Commissaire Adamsberg novels are translated by Vargas’ English-language translator, Siân Reynolds. Using two Adamsberg novels as a case study, it takes the stance that contemporary crime novels are especially popular due to their emphasis on locality and culture, as they showcase elements of cultural and regional identity, and especially food. It argues that contemporary crime novels function as key cultural narratives and, in turn, translated crime novels function as intercultural narratives. It also argues that Vargas’ Adamsberg novels are(inter)national regional novels, as Adamsberg’s investigations take him outside of Paris to lesser-known parts of France, enabling Vargas to showcase those regions and elements of their cultural identity, including their food. As Vargas’ translator, Reynolds plays a key role in depicting, representing and conveying those cultural aspects to her readers. Through a textual analysis and comparison of a selection of examples from the source and target texts, this article evaluates Reynolds’ translation decisions and their implications. It reveals that, despite isolated incongruences, Reynolds successfully follows Vargas’ agenda to showcase French regional identity and food, making the novels functions as key (inter)cultural narratives of French regional identity.