International Conference
Protest and Dissent in Translation and Culture
organized by
Department of Anglophone Cultures and Literatures
University of Social Sciences and Humanities (SWPS)
Warsaw, 11-13 May 2017
CALL FOR PAPERS
Though dissent and protest seem to be strongly linked with politics and with political actions, the range of their senses and uses is much broader and, as Amit Chaudhuri has noticed, dissent is inscribed in the very idea of the literary which, "in its resistance to interpretation, is a peculiar species of dissent." The common ground of protest and dissent is, very generally, a disagreement with what is, and an expression of the necessity of some change which seems to be standing behind the very gestures of dissension or protestation. This expression may take various forms and make use of various modalities coming from different cultures, states and places. Protest and dissent may sometimes be individual gestures, as seems to be the case with Melville's Bartleby's famous "I would prefer not to", though the outdoor reading of "Bartleby, the Scrivener" organized by Occupy Wall Street supporters at Zuccotti Park in New York in November 2011 was an event which renarrated the story as "resonating quite well with the mission of the OWS protest" because it not only questioned the assumed hierarchy and expressed the strength of passive resistance, but also because it was set on Wall Street. Dominance and resistance seem to be inevitably speaking through various narratives and stories we live by, the stories which are narrated and renarrated, framed and reframed in different social, political and language communities and realities, through different media and means, and translated into different contexts and languages. The notion of framing, Mona Baker claims in "Reframing Conflict in Translation", allows us "to see translational choices not merely as local linguistic challenges but as contributing directly to the narratives that shape our social world". The ways in which we name, rename, or label events, groups of people, even places have implications in the real world and may help us realize that the world is not made up of universally accepted norms, but that we also partake in negotiating its construction, its changing meanings and senses. Protest and dissent do not necessarily have to be an incentive to a revolutionary change, to a shift of the dominant, but may testify to there being what Edward Said called simply "something beyond the reach of dominating systems", something which limits power and "hobbles" it also through translatological resistance to finality.
We invite papers looking at protest and dissent from different theoretical and methodological perspectives (Translation Studies, Literary Criticism, Critical Theory, Cultural Studies, Discourse Analysis, Feminist and Gender Studies, Queer Theory, Philosophy, Sociology, History of Ideas, Colonial and Postcolonial Studies), papers not only theorizing protest and dissent but also papers engaged in broadly understood disagreement, disapproval, critique or resistance, potentials of conflict management and/or the educational and pedagogical dimensions of dissent. We also invite papers showing how narratives of dissent and protest (novels, poems, stories, histories, films, news, press articles, protest songs ...) are renarrated/translated in different social and political contexts and the ways in which translators' choices may be oriented or disoriented. If Jacques Rancière is right saying that "the essence of politics is the manifestation of dissensus as the presence of two worlds in one", then translation, as an inevitably divided activity, may be a kind of discourse which reveals that oneness may be one of those ideas which harbour consensual dominance and the end of politics, the end of dissensual plurality and the beginning of the police which, in different disguises, finds these days its way to the streets of numerous places of the world.
We suggest the following, broad, thematic areas as issues for disputes and highly probable clashes of ideas:
Rhetoric(s) of protest and dissent
Narrating/renarrating protest and dissent
Dissent and protest in intercultural contexts
Dissent and protest in the culture of global/local politics
Translating protest
Translating dissent
Translation-power-resistance
Empowerment and translation
Resisting power/power of resistance
Discourses of dissent and protest
Discursive strategies of protest and dissent
Discursive analyses of protest and dissent
Pedagogy/ies of dissent
Manipulating protest and dissent
Protest and persuasion
Conflict/protest/dissent
Translating conflict
Literature(s) of protest
Protest/dissent and media
Protest/attack/defense
Protesters/dissenters as friends
Protester/dissenters as enemies
Good guys and bad guys
Protest and activism
Activating/de-activating protest and dissent
Global dissents and/in translation
Solidarity in translation
Translating collectives/collective translations
Keynote speakers:
Professor Mona Baker (University of Manchester)
Professor Ben Dorfman (Aalborg University)
Professor Hanna Komorowska (University of Social Sciences and Humanities, Warsaw)
Professor Tadeusz Rachwał (University of Social Sciences and Humanities, Warsaw)
Venue: University of Social Sciences and Humanities, ul. Chodakowska 19/31, Warsaw, Poland.
Proposals for 20-minute papers (ca 250 words) should be sent to dissent@swps.edu.pl by 20 February 2017. We also encourage panel proposals (comprised of 3 to 4 papers, and an additional 100-150 words explaining how they are interlinked in addressing the panel theme).
Notification of acceptance will be sent by 28 February 2017.
The deadline for registration and payment of the conference fee: 31 March 2017.
The conference fee is 550 PLN | 130 EUR | 140 USD for all participants.
Conference organizers: Dr. Agnieszka Pantuchowicz and Dr. Anna Warso.
Conference website: https://portal.swps.edu.pl/web/protest-and-dissent-in-translation-and-culture
CfP: Edited volume “Translation, Religion and Technology” (Routledge Research in Translation and Religion series)Editor: Prof. Anne O’ConnorAbout: While it is acknowledged that in a digitally linked world, religious experience can travel at speed and globally, the challenges of the linguistic dimensions of this communication, and the role played by translation have not been adequately considered. As religious content, rituals, and interactions become increasingly present online, attention to translation becomes crucial in the global digital space. The modes of communication of digital religion oƯer exciting new opportunities for translation scholars which have heretofore been untapped (Blumczynski and Israel 2018). Interaction with technology can encompass religious communities engaging with digital tools—whether through online sermons, virtual worship services, or religious apps—with translation becoming a key factor in ensuring that these practices remain meaningful and accessible across linguistic and cultural boundaries. Much study on digital religion has considered the new opportunities opened up for religion by the internet and user interaction with web-based technologies and social media. For religion online (Helland 2000), organisations and institutions use digital spaces and technological tools to enable a presence that reaches beyond a local or national borders and thereby encounter many translational issues. However, religions also make use of translation technologies in contexts other than digital spaces and it is important to acknowledge the presence of translation technology in physical religious spaces. Where a religious group has a multilingual community, technologies can enable religious practice and communication, especially in the absence of a common language. Moreover, interpreting in religious contexts (Furmanek 2022, Downie 2024), is primed for innovative uses of technologies to enable communication and understanding. Audiovisual translation, ad hoc interpreting devices, and volunteer-led technical innovations can all be present in religious spaces as communities seek to overcome linguistic barriers to enable religious practices.Themes: Chapters will focus on the intersection of translation, religion and technology in the diverse religious spaces mentioned above with topics including a selection of the following: The use of translation technologies in religious contexts AI-assisted translation and its use in religious communication Translation and online religion/religion online Institutional religious translation practices and technological change Volunteer religious translation activities incorporating technology Religious translation in informal, low-resource settings Translation, religion and social media Interpreting in religious settings and translation toolsThe intersection of religious practice, belief, and community with digital technologies Balancing between innovation and tradition, between technological advancement and historical sacred practices and texts Alternative discourses and their presence in digital religious spaces Enabling religious practice through translation technologies Adapting religious content for new digital environments The digital realm as both a space for innovation and a challenge for maintaining religious (and linguistic) authenticity and continuity AI, ethics and religious translation Issues of gender in religion, translation and technology Canonical religious texts and technical/digital change Untranslatability and religion in digital contexts Technology and sustainable futures for religious translationDeadlines and submission:The volume will be published by Routledge. Deadline for abstracts: 27 February 2026 Notification of acceptance: March 2026 Deadline for chapters: September 2026 Review process: September - December 2026 Publication: 2027 Abstracts of 300 words and author bio to be sent to anne.oconnor@universityofgalway.ie
Translation and interpreting are increasingly shaped by complex, real-world technological, institutional, and socio-cultural contexts. Yet, research that emerges from direct engagement with these contexts often remains underrepresented in scholarly publishing. Collaborative research, understood as research conducted by or with practitioners, offers a vital corrective: it brings to light the lived realities, adaptive strategies, and situated expertise of professionals working within and alongside evolving systems. Academia-industry collaboration is the cornerstone of future-facing and impactful translation and interpreting education and research. This special issue aims to showcase how collaborative research and educational partnerships with the professional world advance theory, push disciplinary boundaries, and deepen our understanding of translation and interpreting as practices shaped by social, cultural, and pedagogical contexts.Synergising professional experience and field research has gained significant attention in recent years, particularly in certain areas such as audiovisual translation (Tuominen & Silvester, 2025) and language automation technology (Rodríguez de Céspedes & Bawa Mason, 2022). Although perhaps rare in other fields within the arts and humanities, academics who also professionally involved in the industry are relatively common in translation and interpreting. This has logically led to certain research outputs focusing on aspects such as working conditions and translation rates (Carreira, 2023; Lambert & Walker, 2022, 2024) and trust in translation project management (Olohan & Davitti, 2015), among many other areas of scholarly interest that can be found in recent publications on the translation industry (Angelone, Massey & Ehrensberger-Dow, 2019; Walker & Lambert, 2025).ThemesThe journal invites manuscripts that engage with one or more of the following key themes, while also welcoming fresh perspectives that expand the conversation:Wellbeing, resilience, and soft skills in translation and interpreting practice;Employability and career pathways for graduates entering the language professions;Situated learning and work placements as bridges between academia and industry;Embedding professional practice in teaching through practitioner involvement and industry-informed curricula;Networks, support systems, and alumni engagement for sustainable career development;Diversity, equity, and inclusion: embracing difference in collaborative contexts;Educating clients, companies, and end users about translation and interpreting, including AI/MT-mediated content;Ethical collaborations and responsible partnerships between academia and industry;Innovation, co-creation, and participatory research methods;Enjoyment and rewards of the language professions (slow translation);Ways in which academia-industry synergies generate new knowledge, foster innovation, and support inclusive, context-sensitive scholarship.Practical informationSelected papers will be submitted to a double-blind peer review.Submission of paper proposals (including a title and an abstract of approximately 300 words, excluding references) should be sent to all three guest editors:Xiaochun Zhang (xiaochun.zhang@ucl.ac.uk)Alejandro Bolanos-Garcia-Escribano (a.bolanos@ucl.ac.uk)Olivia Cockburn (o.cockburn@ucl.ac.uk) DeadlinesAbstract deadline: 1 May 2026Acceptance of abstract proposals: 1 July 2026Submission of papers: 1 December 2026Acceptance of papers: March 2027Submission of final versions of papers: 1 June 2027Editorial work (proofreading, APA, layout): September – October 2027Publication: December 2027
CALL FOR PROPOSALS FOR A SPECIAL ISSUE Submitting Proposals are open for a special guest-edited issue of Translation Studies 21(2) to be published in May 2028 Translation Studies aims to extend the discipline’s methodologies, areas of interest and conceptual frameworks while testing the traditional boundaries of the notion of “translation” and offering a forum for debate focusing on historical, social, institutional and cultural facets of translation.The editors are inviting proposals for a special issue that engages with cutting-edge debates, critical questions, and innovative directions in translation studies with relevance for a global scholarly audience. Please note that in line with the aims and scope of the journal, we will not consider submissions dealing with translator and interpreter training.Guest editor(s) will be responsible for curating the content of the issue, overseeing the review process in consultation with the journal editors, and copy editing the accepted submissions. The Editorial Team will provide guidance and support to ensure the highest level of quality for the guest-edited special issue.Submission You can submit your proposal to the Editorial Team (translationstudiesjournal@gmail.com), with “Translation Studies 21 Special Issue” in the subject line, by 31 March 2026, for consideration in Volume 21 (2028). Decisions will be communicated by 30 April 2026. Each proposal should include:- A title- A call for papers outlining the thematic focus, rationale, and significance (up to 750 words)- A list of indicative topics- The names and contact details of the guest editors, along with brief bio notes highlighting their editorial experience (up to 150 words)
The inaugural issue, on the theme of Community, will be published in the autumn of 2026.Only ONE submission per Call can be accepted from the same contributor, and all submissions must follow the Style Guidelines. Submissions are invited in the following categories: Translations, Research Articles and Reviewes.Key datesDeadline for submitting your contribution: Friday 10 April 2026Authors notified of publication decision: by Friday 12 June 2026Authors to submit revised contributions: Friday 21 August 2026Publication: Autumn 2026
Guest editors: Xany Jansen Van Vuuren, Helen-Mary Cawood, & James Kelly. Deadline for submissions: 31 August 2026 More details here.
