On Tuesday 5 November (19.00, Film Plateauzaal, Gent) the research group TRACE organises a projection of “Die Frau mit den 5 Elefanten”, a documentary about Swetlana Geier, the German translator of Dostoevski.

More information here: Die Frau mit den 5 Elefanten

University of Innsbruck (Austria), 10-11 October 2019

Scientific Organizers: Claudia Jünke (Innsbruck) and Désirée Schyns (Ghent)

In collaboration with:

– Forschungszentrum Kulturen in Kontakt (Innsbruck) and

– Centrum voor literatuur in vertaling (Ghent)

Description

A few years ago Sharon Deane-Cox (2013: 309) observed a “striking absence of dialogue between memory studies and translations studies”, two fields of research which with very rare exceptions (such as Brodzki 2007) did not have much contact with each other. This diagnosis is still valid today and has recently been confirmed by Siobhan Brownlie (2016: 12) who states that “the research concerning translation and memory […] has not been conceptualized as a whole”. The interdisciplinary conference aims at bringing together scholars from cultural memory studies and from translation studies without privileging one of the two disciplinary perspectives. In doing so, it wants to further explore the potential of a new research design that results from the intersections and the interplay of these two areas of study.

The focus of the conference will lie on a particular kind of memory: fictional and testimonial literature’s memories of traumatic pasts, i.e. memories of wars, genocide, dictatorship, colonial oppression, terror and other forms of politically and ethnically motivated violence. We propose to consider literary fictions and testimony that deal with these issues as media of ‘cultural memory’ in the sense of Jan Assmann (1992) and Aleida Assmann (2012), i.e. of collectively shared visions of the past which emerge from historical knowledge stored in and transmitted by cultural objects and practices and which circulate and are negotiated in the (trans)cultural sphere. What happens when texts that represent, perform and negotiate traumatic memories are translated into other languages and therefore into other cultural contexts? What is the importance of particular translation strategies, of paratextual framing, of different horizons of expectation and reception for the transmission of cultural reminiscence? Which role do the translations, the translators and other agents of translation play for memory’s transcultural, cross-border ‘travels’? Is there an ‘ethics of translation’ when it comes to the transfer of memories of past crimes? These are some of the question that the conference wants to address.

The far-reaching absence of dialogue between translation studies scholars and those cultural studies scholars interested in questions of translation seems to be mainly a consequence of the different concepts of ‘translation’ that are at play. On the one hand, cultural studies scholars advocate for a wide-ranging concept that understands ‘translation’ in a broad and metaphorical sense, referring for instance to the transfers between cultures, areas of knowledge or academic disciplines. This is for instance the case in Doris Bachmann-Medick’s work on the ‘translational turn’ in the humanities (see Bachmann-Medick 2009). On the other hand, translation studies scholars tend to criticize this conceptual widening and claim the importance of a more specific and narrow concept of translation that keeps ‘translation proper’ as its point of reference (see Dizdar 2009, Heller 2017). In focusing on memories of traumatic pasts in fictional and testimonial literature and in fostering a dialogue between memory scholars interested in questions of translation and translation scholars interested in questions of memory the conference wants to stimulate productive discussions that transcend the binarity of these two positions and that scrutinize the cross-fertilizations between the two academic disciplines.

The conference will focus both on theoretical and conceptual aspects and on particular case studies (on different genres such as narrative, poetry, drama, graphic novels, testimony, autobiography) that reflect on the intersections of memory and translation and that explicitly tackle the problems, questions and desiderata addressed in this description.

More information : https://www.uibk.ac.at/romanistik/personal/juenke/veranstaltungen/translating-memories/

On Monday 4 November at 18.30 takes place at the KU Leuven (Kortrijk Campus) a plenary lecture on Eco-Translation hold by Prof. Dr. Michael Cronin (Trinity College Dublin).

For more information and registration, see here : Eco-Translation

Residency Dates: November 5-16, 2019
Application Deadline: July 15, 2019

Art Omi: Writers is now seeking proposals for Translation Lab 2019, a 12-day special, intensive residency for four collaborating writer-translator teams in the fall of 2019.

Art Omi: Writers will host four English language translators in New York’s Hudson Valley for 12 days. These translators will be invited along with the writers whose work is being translated into English. All text-based projects—fiction, nonfiction, theater, film, poetry, etc.—are eligible.

More information: http://www.artomi.org/residencies/writers/apply-for-translation-lab?fbclid=IwAR1KGB-iRDXNg8z30IjMQV-D_EYlAwurWgRE7xr9iPkB4ufNGlT0cFttNvo

ABOUT GHENT UNIVERSITY 

Ghent University is a world of its own. Employing more than 8,000 people, it is actively involved in education and research, management and administration, and technical and social services on a daily basis. It is one of the largest, most exciting employers in the area and offers great career opportunities. With each of its 11 faculties and more than 100 departments offering state-of-the-art study programmes that are grounded in research in a wide range of academic fields, Ghent University is a logical choice for its employees as well as its students. 

YOUR TASKS 

• At least 70% of your assignment will be spent on academic research in the domain of translation, interpreting, multilingual communication, language and translation acquisition and teaching, terminology or language technology (research groups EQTIS, TRACE, MULTIPLES or LT3).
• You will assist in teaching activities in the English section at Bachelor’s, Master’s or Postgraduate’s level.
• You will assist in writing research proposals and the coaching of PhD students in the research group.
• You will counsel students for their bachelor papers and master’s dissertations.

WHAT WE ARE LOOKING FOR 

• You hold a doctoral degree in the domain of translation, interpreting, multilingual communication, language and translation acquisition and teaching, terminology or language technology or an equivalent degree. The degree requirements need to be fulfilled at the start of your appointment.
• You have already conducted research within one of these fields which can be corroborated by recent publications in international academic journals which rely on experts for the evaluation of submitted papers.
• You know English at C2 level of the European Reference Framework or as a native speaker.
• Having positively evaluated experience in offering and/or organising academic training is recommended.
• You are profoundly interested in coaching students in the Bachelor’s, Master’s and/or Advanced Master’s programmes.
  

WHAT WE CAN OFFER YOU 

• We offer you a three-year appointment, which can be renewed once and only in exceptional circumstances for maximum three years.. The term of renewal begins immediately after the first term has expired. Attention: If you have been previously appointed as a post-doctoral assistant at a university within the Flemish Community, you cannot apply for this position.
• The successful candidate is expected to begin the appointment on 1 September 2019 at the earliest.
• Your remuneration will be determined according to salary scale AAP5. More information about our salary scales.
• All Ghent University staff members enjoy a number of benefits, such as a wide range of training and education opportunities, 38 days of paid leave, bicycle commuting reimbursement, ecocheques, etc. A complete overview of all our fringe benefits (in Dutch).
  

INTERESTED? 

Apply online through the e-recruitment system before the application deadline (see above). We do not accept late applications or applications that are not sent through the online system.

Your application must include the following documents: 

• In the field ‘Cv’: your cv and an overview of your relevant scientific publications (merged into one pdf file)
• In the field ‘Cover letter’: your application letter in pdf format
• In the field ‘Diploma’: a transcript of the required degree (if already in your possession). If you have a foreign diploma in a language other than our national languages (Dutch, French or German) or English, please add a translation in one of the mentioned languages.
• In the field ‘Certificate of equivalence’: only for diplomas awarded outside the European Union a certificate of equivalence (NARIC) must be submitted. (This can be requested via www.naricvlaanderen.be/en).

• a text (max. 1500 words) in which you express your views regarding the fulfilment of the position at hand, including a concrete research and publication plan
  

Note that the maximum file size for each field is 10 MB. 

As Ghent University maintains an equal opportunities and diversity policy, everyone is encouraged to apply for this position.

MORE INFORMATION 

For more information about this vacancy, please contact Prof. Prof. Sonia Vandepitte (sonia.vandepitte@ugent.be).

On Friday 19 June takes place at the VUB (Vrije Universiteit Brussel) the study day “Jornada de traducción literaria del español al neerlandés”. The study day is organised in collaboration with KU Leuven.

Programme : Programa Jornada

La ‘Primera Jornada de traducción literaria del español al neerlandés’ tiene como objetivo destacar la traducción de obras literarias españolas al neerlandés y proporcionar un foro para la investigación que se está llevando a cabo en esta área en Flandes y en los Países Bajos. El objetivo es también establecer un vínculo con el campo de trabajo, dando a los traductores la oportunidad de discutir las dificultades en una mesa redonda, así como las alegrías que trae consigo la profesión de traductor literario. Además, esta jornada de estudio también ofrecerá la oportunidad de dar a conocer el Máster en Traducción Literaria a un público más amplio. La Consejería De Educación Y Formación Profesional de la Embajada de España en el Benelux colabora en esta iniciativa trayendo a la VUB a Lorena Martínez Cienfuegos, asesora lingüística, quien presentará la Plataforma ENCLAVE_RAE para profesionales de la lengua española.

La iniciativa reúne a investigadores de la VUB, la KU Leuven, la Universidad de Amberes y la UGent.

From 11 to 13 June 2019, a PhD course on “Translation and Cultural Transfer” will take place at Ghent University and KU Leuven/Campus Brussels. Keynote lecturers Diana Roig Sanz (Universitat Oberta de Catalunya) and Petra Broomans (Rijksuniversiteit Groningen) will present theoretical models and methods for analyzing intra- and extra-textual aspects of cultural transfer processes in peripheral multilingual contexts.

The course is conceived as an interactive seminar. It is a combination of ex-cathedra lectures, hands-on methodological workshops, tutorials/short presentations by doctoral researchers, discussions, and preliminary reading.

PhD students can apply by 20 May 2019 by sending a 500-word abstract of their presentation to anneleen.spiessens@ugent.be or beatrijs.vanacker@kuleuven.be. Call, full (preliminary) program and evaluation criteria are available here.

Post-docs and other university staff are welcome to attend lectures and discussions without actively participating. For practical reasons, we kindly ask you to register by e-mailing Anneleen or Beatrijs by 20 May.

CULTURAL AMBIVALENCE, INTERSEMIOTIC TRANSLATION AND ARTISTIC IDENTITIES : The literary Production of Musician Writers

This symposium will be held the 28th of May at Université de Liège (Place du 20 août) – Salle de l’Horloge (main building).

The main theme of this symposium is the study of the complex relations between music and literature from the perspective of popular musicians who, some on the margins of their musical career, have also built a literary oeuvre. The number of such ‘crossovers’ is extensive, and over the years they have acquired an institutional validity and identity. We hope to obtain a greater understanding of the internal dynamics at work within various artistic systems and at the same time bring into alignment a number of theoretical concepts from translation studies and comparative literature, such as ambivalence, intersemiotic translation, polygraphy and ethos.

How do the artists themselves view the relationship between these two practices? To what extent does intersemiotic translation occur, or reworking, adaptation or separation, between oeuvres? Why do these artists decide to produce a literary work at a given point in their career? Do they anchor this dual practice in one or two artistic identities? How are these interrelated? To what extent do the two practices overlap (textually or otherwise)? Do they focus attention on this hybrid identity in either their primary discourse (the literature and music) or secondary texts (interviews, paratexts, etc.)?

How are these works positioned in the literary system? Is it easier or harder to get them published and reviewed? Are different norms used to evaluate them? To what extent does the literary criticism draw comparisons to the musical work? What genres do musicians prefer – canonical (poetry, novels) or peripheral (crime fiction, science fiction, children’s books)?

Organizing committee

• Francis Mus (Université de Liège)
• Michel Delville (Université de Liège)
• Christophe Pirenne (Université de Liège)
• Denis Saint-Amand (FUNDP – Université de Namur)

Full progamme and registration : www.musicianwriters.be

From March 21st to 25th Fouad Laroui is writer in residence at the VUB. For this occasion he will give lectures and seminars in different languages:

Thursday 21 March, 17.00-19.00 (room D.3.08): Discussion seminar / séminaire de discussion “Aesthethics and Ethics in Multicultural Literature Today” (hosted by Prof. dr Daniel Acke & Prof. dr. Elisabeth Bekers) ;

Friday 22 March 12.00-14.00 (Studentenrestaurant, STOA): Séminaire déjeuner avec Dr. ir Fouad Laroui “Réflexions postcoloniales sur la Francofonie” (organisatie Prof. dr. Daniel Acke & Prof. dr. Sabine Hillen for La Semaine de la Francophonie) ;

Friday 22 March 18.30-21.00 (U-Residence, groene zaal): Alumni Drink en Literaire Avond met Fouad Laroui rond zijn laatste roman L’insoumise de la Porte de Flandre (2017)

Monday 25 March 13.00-15.00 (Promotiezaal D.2.01): Gesprek tussen Jean Paul Van Bendegem en Fouad Laroui over diens recent boek Dieu, les mathématiques et la folie (Robert Laffont, 2018)

Complete programme: Programma F. Laroui 21-25 maart

Location: KU Leuven, Faculty of Arts, Campus Antwerp

Date : 15-03-2019

Multilingual writing has been a common practice since Antiquity, but has only become a popular research topic among critics in recent years. Kellman, who prefers the term translingualism, states that “the creation of a new voice means the invention of a new self” (2014). Many writers as well as film directors draw on their daily use of more than one language as a creative resource, but, as Yildiz points out in her authoritative essay Beyond the Mother Tongue, The Postmonolingual Condition, multilingualism is still haunted by the ideal of one true mother tongue (Yildiz 2012). Moreover, there is the material impossibility of a radically plurilingual literature because big publishing houses are not interested in it (Lennon 2010).

In the one-day conference, Polyglots and Polysystems, it is our aim to analyze multilingualism in literature and film from different perspectives through which both the product and the process can be approached. Codde, for instance, reminds us that, although Polysystem Theory seems to have lost its appeal for students and researchers of comparative literature, Even-Zohar’s interpretative model still offers a “framework for a wide-ranging and still topical study of a variety of cultural phenomena” (Codde 2003). The conference will bring together insights and methodologies from literary studies, film studies and translation studies, and confront these with new perspectives in the field. We also welcome case studies of contemporary literary works and films from 2000 until now. The main focus will be on texts and films in English and/or Spanish.

Organizing Institutions: KU Leuven, Research Group VICT (“Translation and Intercultural Transfer”) and Ghent University, Research Group CLIV (“Literature in Translation”)

Conference programme : Polyglots and Polysystems