PROPOSALS: Lost in Translation

In an increasingly globalising world, English (as the dominant language of business and the internet) is almost inevitably a carrier of western ideologies and social, religious and cultural mores that do not always sit well in other cultures. Translations do increase the number of literary works available to young people, widening their literary experiences, introducing them to other countries, and, hopefully, promoting a more international perspective, a greater understanding between cultures. Yet most translations are from English, few are into English; there is a decided imbalance in what is translated and for whom. In countries without their own substantial tradition of children’s literature, where, when making reading choice decisions, parents do not have the same background/experiences on which to draw as parents in the original market, or when translated books are used, for example, in the area of education, this issue can be problematic in terms of intercultural interference. Of concern, too, are questions such as the choice of texts, the nature and the extent of changes from the original to the target language, and the nature of the gate-keepers (especially publishers with their own commercial interests).

Of course, “translation” can also be thought of in broad terms, not just the literal translations between languages. Adults writing for children “translate” the world and its rules and codes, the re-tellings of traditional/canonical stories “translate” from one period to another, films (and video games) can be seen as “translations” of books (and vice versa), and books (and other media) “translate” cultures. These acts of mediation are not without their own problems and issues.

In the tradition of this conference and its intention to reflect a broad spectrum of current graduate research, proposals are invited from all disciplines and from inter-disciplinary teams for twenty-minute papers addressing any aspect of “translation” in children's literature. In addition, the conference offers various subthemes which will enable the final programme to reflect the diversity of current studies in children's literature. Thus, papers may also consider any of the following areas of interest, which may or may not touch upon the main theme: 

·         Literary theory and children's literature

·         Gender studies – masculinist, feminist or queer theory approaches

·         The politics of children’s literature

·         Ideology and/or reader response

·         The voice of the child

·         Popular culture and children’s literature

·         Education and children’s literature

·         Publishing and children's literature

·         New voices: new trends

The deadline for receipt of proposals is October 15, 2006.

CONFERENCE LANGUAGE

The conference will be held in English. 

PROPOSAL SUBMISSION

Please click Proposal Submission to submit your proposal online.

Please note:  If you need an early decision on your proposal in order to secure funding and/or travel visas, please indicate this when you send in your proposal.

IMPORTANT DATES

Deadline for Submission of Abstracts and Proposals: OCTOBER 15, 2006
Acceptance Notice: by NOVEMBER 15, 2006
Deadline for Conference Registration for Presenters: JANUARY 25, 2007
Announcement of the Conference Programme: JANUARY 26, 2007
Deadline for Conference Registration for Non-presenters: FEBRUARY 16, 2007
*Conference Registration Fee for Non-presenters after FEBRUARY 16, 2007 will be DOUBLED.

FURTHER INFORMATION
If you have any questions regarding the conference, please contact Anthony Pavlik at cb2007@boun.edu.tr