This special issue examines the complexities of mixed languages in literary texts, building upon Emily Apter’s critical insights on untranslatability in The Translation Zone,¹ a seminal work that underscores the role of linguistic hybridity in Comparative Literature. By exploring how blended linguistic forms challenge traditional notions of linguistic purity and national literary canons, Apter argues that mixed languages operate within a dynamic linguistic space where languages collide, interact and generate novel, often untranslatable, forms. Her work compels us to reconsider the boundaries of literature and the very definition of what constitutes a language – a central concern within both the fields of literary multilingualism and comparative literature. The articles included in this special issue are also situated in this dynamic linguistic area. Our aim is to revitalize the study of literary code-mixing and hybridity, a group of multifaceted practices operating at key strata of literary texts with important narratological, fictional, linguistic and political repercussions.