Emily Wilson, recognized as the first woman to translate Homer’s “Odyssey” into English, is embarking on a complete retranslation of the ancient Greek epic poem, just under ten years after her widely acclaimed version was released.

This announcement follows a summer of debate sparked by Wilson’s critical review of Christopher Nolan’s recent film adaptation of the “Odyssey.” She condemned the adaptation for its “abysmal” writing and noted the absence of significant sexual content.

Wilson’s translation, published in 2017, quickly became a bestseller, lauded for its ability to render the 3,000-year-old poem relevant and approachable for contemporary readers.

In a conversation with the New York Times, she stated, “I’m now retranslating the Odyssey from scratch, adopting an approach similar to that of my Iliad translation, which will involve using more lines than the original text to create a broader range of word lengths and pacing.”

She clarified to the Associated Press, saying, “This is a complete retranslation, not a revision of my previous work. I’m about halfway through the process.”

Notably, Nolan referenced Wilson’s 2017 translation, particularly its opening line, “Tell me about a complicated man,” as inspiration for his film that features actors such as Tom Holland, Zendaya, Matt Damon, and Anne Hathaway. The film was a commercial success, grossing $264 million (£196 million) during its opening weekend, marking a record for the director. Following the film’s release, print sales of the poem surged by 1,400% in the UK during the four weeks ending July 25, compared to the same timeframe in 2025.

Wilson’s sharp critique of Nolan’s adaptation gained significant attention, especially her remarks in the London Review of Books, where she argued, “Nolan’s Odyssey lacks many of the elements that make the poem great … The writing is abysmal.” She elaborated, stating that the characters lack believable motivations, there were no sex scenes, and even the food depicted appeared unappetizing. She expressed disdain, saying, “I would be ashamed to have written any part of this script.”

This critique drew varied reactions, including from novelist Joyce Carol Oates, who labeled Wilson’s comments as “haughty superiority.”

Wilson’s choice to retranslate the “Odyssey” was in motion prior to the controversy surrounding the film. In a spring interview for the podcast “Instant Classics,” she shared her intention to revisit Homer with a new perspective, stating, “I’m proud of my Odyssey translation … I think there are significant merits to the compression and choices I made.”

She mentioned that she is likely to retain the opening line, “Tell me about a complicated man,” while also acknowledging that her initial translation overly relied on the term “slave,” suggesting that more accurate terminology could better represent the various forms of servitude depicted in the epic.

Wilson’s forthcoming translation will also feature a substantial increase in her scholarly commentary, as she plans to “quadruple the number of endnotes because endnotes are really fun to write,” she remarked.

Although Wilson’s decision to undertake a new translation is somewhat rare, it is not unprecedented. Matthew Reynolds, a professor of English and comparative criticism at Oxford University, noted that it is common for translators to revisit and refine their prior works. He cited examples such as Elizabeth Barrett Browning’s complete rewrite of her translation of Aeschylus’s “Prometheus Bound” and Ezra Pound’s repeated revisions of his translations of Guido Cavalcanti. He emphasized that translation, especially in the literary realm, is an ongoing exploratory journey of reinterpretation and recreation.

As of now, Wilson has not announced a release date for her new translation of the “Odyssey.”