Abstract
This article explores the challenges and strategies involved in translating Kim Thúy’s novel em into Croatian. A work marked by heterolingualism and a strong cultural charge, em mobilizes several languages and cultural references, raising fundamental questions about the transposition of linguistic and cultural elements in translation. The study is based on a research-creation approach that combines theoretical analysis and reflection on translation practice. The analysis highlights the tensions between domestication and foreignization in literary translation, underscoring the importance of preserving the source text's otherness. The choice to retain numerous Vietnamese terms, anglicisms and cultural references is intended to respect the novel’s multilingual and intercultural dimension. The results underline that the translation of em into Croatian favors a sourciste approach, grounded in Paul Ricœur’s concept of linguistic hospitality.