The literary self-translator is immersed in different linguistic, cultural and political realities of an ever more global world. Besides crossing the linguistic and cultural boundaries they therefore, also confront ideological choices. The central question to be answered in the paper is the following: How might the coexistence and interplay of such realities influence the self- translator's practice and ultimately, the final product of such a practice - the re-written text, and can this practice challenge the authority of the first text - the ‘original'? As translation always takes place in a social context, I will place this largely theoretical discussion, within a specific historical framework and conclude with formulating a set of further questions that will inform forthcoming research.