If an author’s name appears in a foreign script, such as Cyrillic, how should the name appear in the works-cited-list entry?

Note: This post relates to content in the eighth edition of the MLA Handbook. For up-to-date guidance, see the ninth edition of the MLA Handbook.

Use either the transliterated or the familiar form of the name in prose, in-text citations, and works-cited-list entries. If an author is likely to be known to your audience in the familiar form (e.g., Leo Tolstoy), use that form throughout your paper. For an example, see our post on titles of works in languages that do not use roman characters.