Translation plays a vital role in society – it allows us to share knowledge and enrich our lives through access to other cultures. Translation studies is a rapidly evolving academic discipline, directly impacted by advances in technological aids, and with close connections between theory and practice. Bringing together contributions from internationally-renowned scholars, this Handbook offers an authoritative, up-to-date account of the many facets of this buoyant discipline. It covers different themes, areas of practice and developing trends, and provides an overview of the major sub-fields, and the connections between them. It is organised into six parts covering the nature of translation, its roles in society, its relationships with other disciplines, a selection of its factual genres, a selection of its art-related genres and, finally, its role in history. Comprehensive yet accessible, it is essential reading for students, teachers and scholars of translation studies, modern languages, linguistics, social studies and literary studies.