Hard Nut to Crack...「作家性」とは

My brain is in a state of vertigo! After weeks of translating scientific papers, I am now working on something creative for a change (Japanese → English).

The original is written in abstract and figurative speech which made me scratch my head many times. Especially this one; “作家性”.

For those unfamiliar with Japanese, let me explain the word one by one:
作家 means “author”, “writer”, “artist” or “creator” depending on the media.
性 means “nature“, “character”, “touch” or simply “being of <something>”.

In literature, this term is used to mean something like “distinctive character of an author”. Indeed, it was a pet expression in literary reviews before the days of post-modernism.

In the text I am translating, the word is used to describe art works generated through collaboration of several craftsmen and AT.

You may think of “authorship” as the first choice. But the point of discussion here is not about copyright but more about the identity of the finished art work. If so many parties are involved in a piece of art, who contributes most and should thus affix the last signature to it? Options I went through include the creator’s “soul“, “will”, “intention”, “fingerprint”, “identity“, “personality“, “originality” and much more.

Being a translator, at times you need to think like a scientist (which I tried to do so in last few weeks when working on medical papers) or ponder like a philosopher on such a thought-provoking term. And that’s exactly why I love my profession.