The image of the "land" is an ongoing trope in conceptions of Canadaafrom the national anthem and the flag to the symbols on coinsathe land and nature remain linked to the Canadian sense of belonging and to the image of the nation abroad. Linguistic landscapes reflect the multi-faceted identities and cultural richness of the nations. Earlier portrayals of the land focused on unspoiled landscape, depicted in the paintings of the Group of Seven, for example. Contemporary notions of identity, belonging, and citizenship are established, contested, and legitimized within sites and institutions of public culture, heritage, and representation that reflect integration with the land, transforming landscape into landmarks. The Highway of Heroes originating at Canadian Forces Base Trenton in Ontario and Grosse Ale and the Irish Memorial National Historic Site in QuA (c)bec are examples of landmarks that transform landscape into a built environment that endeavours to respect the land while using it as a site to commemorate, celebrate, and promote Canadian identity. Similarly in literature and the arts, the creation of the built environment and the interaction among those who share it is a recurrent theme. This collection includes essays by Canadian and international scholars whose engagement with the theme stems from their disciplinary perspectives as well as from their personal and professional experiencearooted, at least partially, in their own sense of national identity and in their relationship to Canada.

While translation history in Canada is well documented, the history of the translation of Canadian fiction outside the nation remains obscure. "Les Belles Etrangeres" examines the translation of Canadian English-language fiction in France. This book considers the history of this practice, the reasons for the move away from Quebec translators as well as the process and perils involved in this detour.

Within a theoretical framework and drawing on primary sources, this study considers the historical, theoretical, and concrete aspects of this practice through the study of the translations of authors such as Robertson Davies, Carol Shields, Margaret Atwood, Michael Ondaatje, Ann-Marie MacDonald, and Alistair MacLeod.

The book also includes a comprehensive bibliography of English-language novels, poetry, and plays published and translated in France over the past 240 years.