Of Peninsula and Archipelago: The Landscape of Translation in Southeast Asia

31 August – 1 September 2019

Hosted by

Chalermprakiat Center of Translation and Interpretation, Faculty of Arts, Chulalongkorn University, Bangkok, Thailand

Call for Papers

What can the study of translation in and of the Southeast Asian region contribute to Translation Studies? Unlike other Asian regions, Southeast Asian countries do not have cultural, linguistic or religious commonalities. Their grouping is more or less a political and geographical convenience which makes any analysis of this region’s cultural activities challenging. Geographically, Southeast Asia can be divided into mainland and maritime sub-regions, with differences between peninsular and archipelagic cultures. The peninsula suggests a solid, unified and seamless space in a well-defined boundary, whereas the archipelago evokes the image of scattered entities, both united and separated by the fluidity of waters. There is, however, a lack of tangible intraregional translational activities, which invites closer scrutiny of the geographical and linguistic landscapes that have underpinned Southeast Asia’s translation traditions. The cultural, philosophical and historical aspects of how translation is configured in this region remains largely under-researched. This workshop seeks to explore whether and to what extent different geographical settings shape translation practices and concepts in this region.