Call for papers: Translation, Conflict and Memory - Symposium on Literary Translation and Contemporary Iberia

Since the end of the dictatorship, but especially since the 1990s, a new spirit of inquiry has led to a proliferation of books, films and documentaries about the Spanish civil war (1936-1939) and the dictatorship (1939-1975). “The right to memory”, which grants victims and their families the right to be remembered, is an ongoing debate among the individual (such as families seeking their relatives) and the public in different spheres (such as politics, the media and the world of culture through film, literature and other artefacts). Examining how the Spanish conflict was translated into and from different languages and cultural contexts provides new ways in which to analyse the portrayal of the civil war inside and outside of Spain as well as within the context of transnational scenarios. The translation of narratives that deal with this local conflict necessarily involves a negotiating process. The translator or interpreter thus becomes a key agent in negotiating these shifting narratives and projects them beyond the culture of origin. Some examples of translated works are Maria Dueñas´s The Time in Between (2011)/The Seamstress (2012), Almudena Grandes´s The Frozen Heart (2010) and The Wind from the East (2007), Carlos Ruiz Zafón´s The Shadow of the Wind (2004), and Dulce Chacón´s The Sleeping Voice (2006).

Narratives and cultural representations on this subject produced prior, during and after the Civil War and the Dictatorship have led to new debates arising from the reassessment of a conflict that continues to resonate. These debates deserve more critical thinking and thorough reflection by scholars in the field. This symposium endeavours to bring together researchers working on the field of translation, conflict and memory studies. Focusing on cultural representations of the Spanish Civil War and the Franco Dictatorship, it aims to reflect and offer a comprehensive understanding of the matter opening a new dialogue and examining the scope of translation in transmitting the conflict and the dictatorship from a contemporary perspective. Ultimately, it intends to contribute towards the development of the translation, conflict and memory nexus and inspire pioneering research in this area.

We welcome papers addressing recent phenomena emerging in academia, in the media, in blogs and other informal channels when revisiting and reframing the Spanish conflict and the importance of the recovery of Historical Memory within current societies. We seek articles that focus on, but are not limited to, the following themes:

Translation, National Discourse and Marginal Voices.

Translation as Rewriting: the transmission of ideologies.

Translation, Power and Identity.

Translation and Censorship.

Translation and Story/History.

Translation and Memory Studies.

Translation and National Canons.

Translation and Trauma.

Translation: Challenges and Possibilities in Re-examining the Past.

Intergenerational and Transcultural Dialogue through Translation.

Translation and Transcultural Memory.

Translation and Hybrid Writing.

Translation and Gendered Discourses.

Translation and the Digital Humanities: digital archives, online blogs, fansubbing of documentary materials etc.

Translation and Travel Writing: the translation of the Civil War into the Anglosphere through travel accounts (George Orwell, Kate O’Brien etc).

The Reception of the Translated Works: do these novels cross-over effectively in other contexts? What role does translation play in that?

Landscape of the Spanish Conflict in Translation.

Deadline for submission: 15 June 2017.

For further details, please visit https://confetcm.wordpress.com/