Book history and translation studies have significantly enhanced our understanding of print culture. Although driven respectively by bibliographic and comparativist linguistic interests, the two fields have converged into a shared perception of texts as cultural and social products controlled by interconnected networks of agents. Efforts to delve deeper into the nature of these networks and into the mobility of printed texts have led to fruitful cross-disciplinary intersections. As a result, translation scholars are becoming increasingly receptive to the relevance of textual materiality while book historians are turning to comparative approaches and the transnational side of publishing. On a general level, texts and their trajectories are more and more frequently analysed by integrating conceptual, methodological and theoretical frameworks originally developed in either book history or translation studies (see for example Heilbrom 2008; Bachleitner 2010; Freedman 2012; O’Sullivan 2012; Armstrong 2013; Littau 2016; Belle & Hosington 2017). The success of this interdisciplinary approach is leading to a growing awareness that further dialogue between studies and book history is needed to achieve more accurate representations of the transnational life of print culture. This special issue aims at exploring and further promoting intersections between the two fields with a particular focus on the multifaceted international publishing panorama that characterised the period between 1700 and 1950. Contributions are especially encouraged on thematic areas including:
- The materiality of translation
- Translations’ paratext and translation of paratext
- Translation and the transnationalisation of print culture
- Translation and the sociology of texts
- Translation and textual bibliography
- Agents involved in the production and distribution of translations and their relation on a
national and international level
- Translation of popular literature and ephemera
- Translation and book illustration
- Translation, religion and book history
- Translation and musical texts
- Terminology of the book across languages
- Translation and the transformation of reading habits and attitudes
- Research methodologies in translation studies and book history
Instructions for authors
Submission instructions
Articles will be about 7000 words in length, in English (including notes and references)
Abstracts of 500-700 words (including references) should be sent together with a short biographical note to the guest editors at translationbookhistory@gmail.com
Schedule
28 February 2018 – deadline to submit abstracts and biographical note to the guest editors
23 March 2018 – deadline for decisions on abstracts
31 August 2018 – deadline for submission of articles
23 November 2018 – submission of final version of papers
June 2019 – publication of the issue
All articles will be reviewed by two readers.
For information please contact Alice Colombo at translationbookhistory@gmail.com
For information about the journal please visit http://www.euppublishing.com/loi/ccs
Call for Papers:The Institute of Translation and Interpreting Studies (ITRI) at Hankuk University of Foreign Studies will virtually host its 26th International Conference on Thursday, January 21, 2027.Theme: “Shifting Paradigms in the T&I Research Ecosystem.”With the advent of the generative AI era, significant changes are taking place across the research ecosystem of translation and interpreting. Research topics are expanding, and research methodologies are becoming increasingly diverse.Now is the time for translation and interpreting scholars to take stock of these ongoing changes in the research ecosystem and to explore how we can adapt to this evolving environment and help shape its development in a human-centered direction.Keynote Speaker: Ralph Krüger (TH Köln)Title: AI Literacy and Language AI Projects in EuropeSubmissions addressing a wide range of topics related to human and machine translation and interpreting are welcome, including but not limited to:Diversification of Research Topics and MethodologiesChanges in Research EthicsShifting Roles and Status of Translators and Interpreters·Changing Work Paradigms in Translation and InterpretingTranslator and Interpreter Education and Training·Translation/Interpreting and TechnologySubmitting a proposalIndividual proposals should be a minimum of 300 words.Proposal(s)may be submitted in English or Korean.All proposals should be accompanied by short bios (approx. 100 words) of the presenters.Please send all proposals via email to itri@hufs.ac.krDatesDecember 6, 2026: Proposal submission deadlineDecember 8, 2026: Proposal acceptance notificationJanuary 8, 2027: Paper submission (Microsoft Word or PowerPoint slides)For any inquiries, please email ITRI at itri@hufs.ac.kr.How to register as a participantConference registration is free.The online conference link will be posted on the ITRI homepage before the conference: http://itri.hufs.ac.krIf you wish to present, please check the information above and let us know of your intention to present in advance using the link below.https://forms.gle/gHeRWpyUDKGGfoZdA
Call for Translations (2026-2027):Journal: Society for Cinema & Media Studies (SCMS) – Translation/Publication Committee In collaboration with JCMS: Journal of Cinema and Media Studies The SCMS Translation/Publication Standing Committee welcomes two types of proposals: (1) a single text such as a journal article, book chapter, or self-contained section of a book that focuses on a particular topic in a unified, coherent way, or (2) a group of smaller texts that are linked thematically, regionally, or otherwise.Deadline:Proposals are due by October 23, 2026. Submissions should be sent to the Standing Committee Coordinator (committees@scmstudies.org) and cc: the SCMS Translation/Publication Committee Chair, Catherine Benamou (cbenamou@uci.edu).More details: https://www.cmstudies.org/page/comm_translation
Call for papers:Event: Who Appears After Translation? Authors, Artists, and Transcultural Personas — ACLA 2027American Comparative Literature Association Annual Meeting 2027University of Houston, May 20–23, 2027Organizers: Maya Boutaghou and Song Huang, University of VirginiaPossible topics include, but are not limited to:literary translationself-translationmultilingual writingtranslated authors and authorial personastranslators as mediators of cultural identityperformance circulationadaptationvisual translationartistic and celebrity personasdigital mediadiasporic and postcolonial translationmultilingual subjectivityuntranslatabilitytranscultural mediationtranslation and cultural memorytranslation across literary, visual, and embodied mediaSubmissionPaper proposals must be submitted through the ACLA 2027 online portal.Deadline: September 22, 2026More info: https://www.acla.org/seminar/7a421fda-c5ce-4e42-b382-0d05b579746b
Call for Papers:Event: History and Translation Network Conference 2027 Time : September 20-23, 2027Place: Ghent University, BelgiumPossible topics include:translator branding and authorial visibilitygendered and postcolonial invisibilityarchival recovery of neglected translators and mediatorstranslation and mechanisms of canonisationthe historical circulation of texts in manuscript, print, and digital culturesthe materiality of texts, media ecosystems, and publishing networkscensorship, patronage, cultural diplomacy, and cultural policytranslation as labour, profession, and economic practicereaders, reception, and communities of interpretationtranslation and media(tion)the shifting boundaries between human and non-human mediationsocial, intellectual, institutional, and communication networksdigital humanities approaches, network analysis, corpus studies, and archival methodologiesPaper submission deadline: 1 February 2027More info: https://htn2027.ugent.be/en
Call for Papers:International Conference: Translating Sacred Texts: Dimensions, Challenges, and Contemporary Perspectives Date: December 03, 2026Format: In-PersonVenue: Faculty of Arabic Language, Cadi Ayyad University, Marrakech, MoroccoSubmission Guidelines• Abstract: 250–300 words, accompanied by a short biographical note. • Keywords: 4–6 keywords. • Conference Language: English. • Submission Email: sacredtexttranslation@gmail.com• Submission Deadline: September 1, 2026. Read more: https://sites.google.com/uca.ac.ma/sacredtextconference/accueil
