1. Introduction: “The Making of…,” Adaptation and the (Trans-)Cultural Imaginary

This chapter introduces the “Making of” genre and its relationship with adaptation and the cultural imaginary. Starting with the relationship between paratextuality and adaptation, Cronin outlines the “Making of” genre as an adaptive spectrum. She argues that how we conceive of artistic adaptation has cultural implications, and asserts the illustrative properties of the study’s “Making of” sites in this regard. Cronin suggests a re-evaluation of the concept of palimpsestuousness and its capacity to highlight the opportunities and pitfalls posed by adaptation as readerly and writerly practice. The chapter then provides an overview of “Making of” sites, how they work and the kinds of cultural work they can perform, before introducing the “Making of” domains explored in this study and the rationale for the book’s design.