Translators Beyond Translations: Cultural Mediators and Literary Promoters (NEMLA)
Newport, RI
Organization: NeMLA
Event: NEMLA
The reach and the influence of translators extend well beyond their work of making accessible works of literature to readers in other languages. Though often unacknowledged, translators also play crucial roles as cultural mediators, promoters of aesthetic and intellectual trends, and stakeholders in the canonization of authors, books, ideologies and and styles. The case of Antoine Galland (1616-1715) and his contested French version of the Mille et une nuits is a telling example of a work of translation that shaped –and continues to influence –Orientalist imaginaries in Europe and across the world. A second case in point is Victor Rieu’s (1887-1972) modern translation of the Odyssey. Published in 1946, it quickly became a best-seller that helped consolidate the reputation and the international stand of the Penguin Classics collection. In the Spanish-speaking world, a figure such as Gregory Rabassa (1922-2016) proved to be crucial in the popularization of García Márquez and other key authors of the so-called “Boom,” a movement that at in the second half of the 20th century put Latin American literature at the center of the global literary map.
This panel invites scholars and researchers from different areas and linguistic backgrounds interested in the study of the role of translators as cultural mediators, literary promoters, and creators of global networks. We welcome proposals that look beyond traditional practices of translation and shift their focus from the analysis of textual productions to a broader spectrum of study that takes into consideration the complex network of social, historical, political, institutional, and intellectual circles that intersect in the circuits of global literary circulation.
We are especially interested in considering interdisciplinary submissions that are located at the intersection of literary studies and the sociology of literature, media studies, history, anthropology, or other related areas. While we welcome proposals studying the works of translators from and to any languages, we will give priority to proposals that look at underrepresented and minor languages.
https://cfplist.com/nemla/Home/S/22745
Marco Ramirez Rojas