TREXTUALITY: Interdisciplinary Approaches to Translated and Multilingual Texts
University of Turku, Finland, 7–9 September, 2023
Keynote speakers
Guyda Armstrong, University of Manchester: Title tba
Esa Christine Hartmann, University of Strasbourg: Title tba
Outi Paloposki, University of Turku: "Drafts, letters, letter drafts – adventures in translation archives"
Call for papers
Deadline for proposals: 27 February 2023
Schematically, translation studies acknowledges that a text can be translated from one language into another but tends to see source and target texts as stable entities, while in textual scholarship, texts are understood to take many forms, but the different textual manifestations are usually studied only within one language.
In recent years, however, we have seen interdisciplinary approaches that go beyond the source text–target text pair in the case of translation studies and cross linguistic borders when it comes to textual scholarship. For example, thematic journal issues have explored multilingualism and translation from the point of view of textual scholarship (Dillen, Macé, and van Hulle eds. 2012), combined genetic criticism with translation (Durand-Bogaert ed. 2014), and laid out the foundations for genetic translation studies (Cordingley and Montini eds. 2015). Translation can also be seen as a means for bringing out different interpretations of a text and as an intertwined part of writing (Reynolds ed. 2019). Similarly, studies on closely related themes, such as multilingual writing, self-translation, collaborative translation, retranslation, indirect translation, pseudotranslation, backtranslation, and adaptation, may equally provide insights into the complex geneses and networks of dependence that lie behind texts that have manifestations in several languages (Gambier 1994; Bistué 2013). Studies on these kinds of themes often draw on archival resources, as archival material can provide information on translating, translations, and translators (Kujamäki 2018; Cordingley and Hersant eds. 2021).
Interdisciplinary studies that put translation studies and textual scholarship (as well as neighboring fields such as literary studies and book history) into dialogue bring to the fore questions of text, transmission and translation – that is, they address trextuality by discussing how texts take different forms through transmission and by highlighting the role of translation in it. To foster such interdisciplinary dialogue, this conference invites proposals on topics that engage with the concepts of text, transmission, and/or translation, as well as proposals that address the potential of archival resources in the study of these and related themes. Potential topics for proposals include but are not limited to:
- textual scholarship and scholarly editing of translated and multilingual texts, translations of critical editions;
- textual critics as translators, translators as textual critics;
- genetic translation studies;
- multilingual writing, self-translation, collaborative translation, editorial processes of translation;
- retranslation, indirect translation, pseudotranslation, backtranslation, adaptation;
- diachronic and synchronic perspectives on text, transmission, and/or translation;
- translator and author archives, manuscript studies;
- textual theory, questions of multimodality, materiality, digital texts;
- theoretical and methodological reflections on interdisciplinary studies relating to trextuality.
Submitting a proposal
Please submit your proposal for 1) an individual presentation (20 min), or 2) a panel of three presentations (20 min each) by email to This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. by 27 February, 2023.
Proposals should include:
1) title of presentation,
2) abstract (max. 500 words plus references)
3) presenter's name, institutional affiliation, and contact email, and
4) presenter's concise biography (max. 200 words).
By submitting a proposal you agree that your name, affiliation, and information about your presentation can be published on the conference website.
Conference timeline
1 December 2022: Call for papers published
27 February 2023: Deadline for proposals
April 2023: Notifications for acceptance of proposals
April 2023: Registration opens
16 August 2023: Registration closes
7–9 September 2023: Conference
More information
The registration fee will be approximately 100 euros. Registration will open in April 2023 and close on 16 August 2023.
You can find travel and accommodation tips on the conference website: https://www.finlit.fi/en/trextuality
Contact information
Email: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
Organizers
The conference is organized by the Finnish Literature Society – SKS (the project "Traces of Translation in the Archives") and the University of Turku (School of Languages and Translation Studies), and is funded partially by the Kone Foundation.
Organizing Committee:
Tommi Dunderlin (Finnish Literature Society – SKS & University of Helsinki)
Laura Ivaska (Finnish Literature Society – SKS & University of Turku)
Sakari Katajamäki (Finnish Literature Society – SKS)
Kristiina Taivalkoski-Shilov (University of Turku)
References
Bistué, Belen. 2013. Collaborative Translation and Multi-Version Texts in Early Modern Europe. Surrey: Ashgate.
Cordingley, Anthony & Patrick Hersant (ed.). 2021. "Archives de traduction – Translation Archives," special issue of Meta 66 (1).
Cordingley, Anthony & Chiara Montini (ed.). 2015. "Towards a Genetics of Translation," special issue of Linguistica Antverpiensia New Series 14.
Dillen, Wout, Caroline Macé & Dirk van Hulle (ed.). 2012. Texts beyond Borders: Multilingualism and Textual Scholarship, special issue of Variants 9.
Durand-Bogaert, Fabienne. 2014. "Traduire," special issue of Genesis 38.
Gambier, Yves. 1994. "La retraduction, retour et détour." Meta 39 (3): 413–417.
Kujamäki, Pekka. 2018. "Archives." In A History of Modern Translation Knowledge: Sources, Concepts, Effects, edited by Lieven d'Hulst & Yves Gambier, 247–249. Amsterdam: John Benjamins.
Reynolds, Matthew (ed.). 2019. Prismatic Translation. Oxford: Legenda.
