Dear ATSA members, there is an opening for the position of Treasurer on the ATSA Board. The Treasurer will liaise with other Board members and regional representatives for the collection of dues and management of finances. It is a voluntary position, but the successful applicant will have the opportunity to work with a team of highly-motivated translation experts in Africa. Interested ATSA members who would like to take up the position of treasurer should indicate their interest by writing to JMarais@ufs.ac.za copy to schachu@ug.edu.gh
Notice of ATSA Biennial General Meeting
Notice is hereby given to ATSA members of a biennial general meeting to be held on 8 June 2021 during the 2021 ATSA virtual conference.
The exact time and a link to the online platform will be provided in due course.
All paid-up ATSA members may participate and vote in the meeting. Members are invited to participate in the following ways:
1. Members can send agenda points to ATSA secretary Dr Marlie van Rooyen by Friday 4 June 2021 (vanrooyenm1@ufs.ac.za).
2. Three vacancies have become available on the Board, namely Vice-President (currently held by Prof Kobus Marais); Treasurer (currently held by Prof Ilse Feinauer); and Website and Marketing (currently held by Ms Lelanie de Roubaix).
a. Members are invited to nominate any other ATSA member.
b. Please submit the nominations in writing to Dr Van Rooyen or in person during the meeting.
c. Please get the approval of the candidate before your nominate someone.
3. During the meeting, Board members will give feedback on their portfolios and members are allowed to ask questions.
If you have fallen behind with membership fees, please follow this link to ensure that you are a paid-up member by the time of the meeting: https://translationstudiesafrica.com/about/joining-atsa/
Registration is still open for the 2021 ATSA Virtual Conference hosted from 7 to 12 June 2021 by the University of Ghana. To register, please follow this link: https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSfiF9XRwP0uKdxOYoSJCkQlXaPSQfqIo23jJAK3u0GHkfPwGQ/viewform
PhD scholarship opportunity
ERC PhD Scholarship: African Literature across Languages and Genres
The School of Modern Languages and Cultures (‘Translation and Transcultural Studies’) at Warwick University invites applications for doctoral study commencing in October 2021. An ERC-funded scholarship will be available on a competitive basis for an exceptional candidate meeting our requirements. The successful candidate will join a team of researchers working on the ERC project Philosophy and Genre (PhiGe): Creating a Textual Basis for African Philosophy (led by Professor Alena Rettová, University of Bayreuth) and will be supervised by Professor Rettová and Professor Pierre-Philippe Fraiture (University of Warwick): Team (uni-bayreuth.de). PhiGe interrogates the role of textual genre in the expression of philosophical meanings. It consists of eight Research Streams, covering a variety of genres in eight languages from several regions in Africa. Although other proposals will be considered, the successful candidate will ideally work on Wolof literature within Research Stream 4 of the project, which delivers a comparative study of African literatures across languages. In addition to working on their doctoral thesis, the candidate will be expected to make contributions to the collaborative activities of the team, give conference presentations, and help to organize team activities in Senegal and Gambia.
The successful candidate will be expected to reflect on the dissemination of modern and contemporary West African thought through a variety of genres and languages. They will adopt a transcultural approach, ideally explore Wolof literature in its different generic manifestations (theatre, poetry, or novel) and examine the transnational and translational factors that have contributed to its expansion in West Africa throughout history.
The School of Modern Languages and Cultures at Warwick offers its graduate students a buoyant research culture and community, with some 27 students currently enrolled on PhDs in the School, alongside taught and research Master’s students and a number of postdoctoral research fellows. Postgraduate researchers play a vital role in the University of Warwick’s broader research community, together with postdoctoral researchers and academic staff of national and international renown. In the 2014 REF, Warwick’s research outputs in Modern Languages were ranked 5th in the UK. 80% of its research and 80% of its ‘impact’ were ranked at 4* or 3*, and 100% of its environment was similarly ranked as world-leading or internationally excellent. This places the University of Warwick at the top of the Russell Group. Modern Languages at Warwick ranks 8th in the UK according to The Guardian Best Universities in the UK 2021 League Table.
Staff working in Translation and Transcultural Studies in the School of Modern Languages and Cultures have expertise in a wide range of research areas, including cultural translation and transculturalism, memory, African, Caribbean, postcolonial/decolonial and transcultural studies, literary translation, sociolinguistics, self-translation in multilingual contexts, gender and feminist translation studies, sociology of translation, and history of publishing.
Beyond the School of Modern Languages, PhD students are supported by CADRE (the Centre for Arts Doctoral Research Excellence), the Doctoral College, and benefit from dedicated spaces and subject support offered by Warwick University Library. The selected candidate will be able to engage with the ongoing work conducted by the CRPLA (Centre for Research in Philosophy, Literature and The Arts) and the Warwick Africa Research Network (IAS – Africa Research Network (warwick.ac.uk).
Supervisory arrangements: The successful candidate will be based at the University of Warwick. They will be supervised jointly by Professor Pierre-Philippe Fraiture (University of Warwick) and Professor Alena Rettová (University of Bayreuth).
Funding: The funding will cover the fees (full-time study) for 3.5 years at home level and a stipend at UKRC rates. The candidate will be expected to spend the second year of their doctoral programme in West Africa; the fieldwork expenses will also be partly covered from the project. The annual renewal of the funding will be subject to satisfactory progress.
Requirements: linguistic competence in French and English; competence in other relevant languages such as Wolof/or Arabic (or Arabic script) will be an asset; a B.A. (2.1 or equivalent) and preferably a Master’s in a related subject (See: PhD in Translation and Transcultural Studies (warwick.ac.uk) such as philosophy, literature, language and culture, religious studies, or area studies with a focus on Africa.
The application for the PhD scholarship should consist of a CV clearly detailing the candidate’s academic trajectory; a personal statement; a research proposal demonstrating how the candidate’s envisaged doctoral research matches the requirements of the project; and the names and contact details of two referees. Please send these materials as attachments in Word or pdf format to pglanguages@warwick.ac.uk (as below) and ask your referees to send in their references to the same email address and by the same deadline. Applicants should simultaneously apply for a place of study on the PhD programme in Translation and Transcultural Studies (course code: P-Q3PG ) on the University of Warwick’s online application system, following the link from: https://warwick.ac.uk/study/postgraduate/apply/research/submit_application, entering personal and study details as required. You may upload the same research proposal and personal statement as for the scholarship application.
For any information on this PhD scholarship, please contact Pierre-Philippe Fraiture: p-p.fraiture@warwick.ac.uk
Deadline: The closing date for applications is 21 June 2021 (23:59), with interviews to be conducted online on 6 July 2021. The candidate will be expected to start their doctoral programme in October 2021. The scholarship application materials and references should be sent to pglanguages@warwick.ac.uk with ‘ERC PhD Scholarship: African Literature across Languages and Genres’ in the subject heading.
Careers in the languages industry event series
Aston University is organising a series of online roundtables about the different career paths in the language industry. The sessions will run through May, taking place every Thursday at 3:00 BST.
Careers in the Languages Industry
May 2021
- 6 May: Freelancers entrepreneurs and languages
- 13 May: Management translation and other career paths in the language industries
- 20 May: The UK landscape and the international market
- 27 May: The global and diverse language market
All sessions are online free to attend and open to all. More details here: https://www.aston.ac.uk/bss/social-sciences-and-humanities/careers-languages-industry
Registration open for ATSA 2021 virtual conference
Call for papers: Community translation/interpreting in an African context
CALL FOR PAPERS:
“COMMUNITY TRANSLATION/INTERPRETING IN AFRICAN CONTEXT” SECOND BIENNIAL CONFERENCE OF THE ASSOCIATION FOR TRANSLATION STUDIES
IN AFRICA
7-12 JUNE 2021, VIRTUAL, HOSTED BY THE UNIVERSITY OF GHANA, LEGON, ACCRA, GHANA
Community translation and interpreting have been a field of interest in translation studies for quite a while now. In the process, it has amassed a significant body of literature and a research agenda.
The organizers of the second biennial conference of the Association of Translation Studies in Africa would like to put community translation/interpreting on the agenda of translation studies scholars working in the African context. There is a strong suspicion that community translation in Europe, for instance, does not mean the same as in Africa. There are also indications that non-professional translation/interpreting and community interpreting in Africa could be quite closely related. Debates on community translation/interpreting also raise issues of education and training. The organizers thus call for papers that engage with issues regarding community translation/interpreting in the African context. Relevant topics may include, but are not limited to, the following:
- What does community translation/interpreting entail in Africa?
- What would be key differences between community translation/interpreting practices in Africa and in other contexts?
- What is the role of intersemiotic translation in community translation/interpreting in Africa?
- How does the development status of African countries influence community translation/ interpreting?
- How does the language landscape in Africa influence community translation/interpreting?
- What is the relationship between community translation/interpreting and non-professional translation/interpreting in Africa?
- What are the implications of the debate on community translation/interpreting for translator/ interpreter training and education in Africa?
- What is the place of the machine in community translation/interpreting in Africa?
- What ethical issues are raised/faced in community translation/interpreting?
The organizers are awaiting abstracts for this conference. Papers could be conceptual, empirical or a blend of the two.
Format
The conference takes the following format:
- The conference will be hosted virtually (on Zoom with live streaming on Facebook and YouTube).
- Participants will have the choice of presenting live or submitting prerecorded presentations.
- Presentations will be recorded, on condition that presenters assent to this.
- Recorded presentations will be available on an online repository after the conference.
The presentations will be done on consecutive afternoons (Ghana time) during the week of 7-12 June 2021 to limit the fatigue factor of online communication.
Submission Process
Abstract of roughly 300 words can be sent to Mr. Luke Liebzie of the Scientific Committee of ATSA 2021 at atsagh@yahoo.com. Abstracts should include complete information of the author(s), contact details, institution and key words.
NB: Participants whose abstracts were accepted for the 2020 conference will automatically be invited to register for the conference and do not need to resubmit abstracts.
The following time line applies:
- 1 November 2020: Submissions for abstracts opens;
- 10 January 2021: Submissions close and review process starts;
- 30 March 2021: Participants are notified about the outcome of the review process;
- 1 April 2021: Early-bird registration for conference opens;
- 15 April 2021: Early-bird registration for conference closes;
- 16 April 2021: Regular registration for conference opens;
- 15 May 2021: Regular registration for conference closes;
- 7-12 June 2021: Second ATSA Conference.
New journal: Translation in society
Edited by Luc van Doorslaer and Esperança Bielsa
University of Tartu & KU Leuven / Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona
The aim of this essentially interdisciplinary journal is to explore translation as a key social relation in a deeply interconnected world. Translation in Society offers a platform for the growing amount of research in translation studies that draws on sociological theories and methodologies. It also seeks to contribute to the growing visibility of translation within the humanities and the social sciences more broadly, fostering new research that reveals the social relevance of translation in a wide variety of domains, while promoting at the
same time self-reflexivity on the translational aspects of knowledge-production in disciplines such as sociology, political science, policy studies and anthropology.
Click the “download” button above to view the full details of the new journal.
Call for papers: Translation and Inclusive Development
Call for papers: Issue 21, publication year 2022
Translation and Inclusive Development
Guest editors: Marija Todorova¹, and Kobus Marais²
¹Hong Kong Polytechnic University | ² University of the Free State
Marija Todorova is a visiting scholar of the Centre for Professional Communication in English at The Hong Kong Polytechnic University. She holds doctorates in English Language and Literature as well as in Peace and Development Studies. She serves on the International Association for Translation and Intercultural Studies (IATIS) Executive Council and is Chair of the Outreach and Social Media Committee. She is editor of New Voices in Translation Studies and published an edited volume with Lucia Ruiz Rosendo on Interpreting conflict: A comparative framework (2021). Her research interests include representation of violence in literature, intercultural communication, interpreters in conflict situations, and development studies.
Kobus Marais is professor of translation studies in the Department of Linguistics and Language practice of University of the Free State, Bloemfontein, South Africa. He published two monographs, namely Translation theory and development studies: A complexity theory approach (2014) and A (bio)semiotic theory of translation: The emergence of social-cultural reality (2018). He also published two edited volumes, one with Ilse Feinauer, Translation studies beyond the postcolony (2017), and one with Reine Meylaerts, Complexity thinking in translation studies: Methodological considerations (2018). His research interests are translation theory, complexity thinking, semiotics/biosemiotics and development studies.
Translation and Inclusive Development
In the second half of the twentieth century, multilateral organizations such as the United Nations and the World Bank promoted the idea of using donor-funded programs to improve the lives of people around the world with development aid. Since then, irrespective of how development is defined, researchers agree that it is a political term that implies positions of power regarding who makes the decisions and sets priorities for the distribution of aid (Banerjee, 2003). An aspect of development, that has received a general consensus is that the language used has power over how development is conceptualized, which in turn directs actions (Crush, 1995; Escobar, 1995). However, translation has so far rarely been considered as crucial to development work. In a sector which would be unable to operate without translation (Sanz Martins, 2018), and despite the interest into the role that language plays in development (Cornwall, 2007; Cornwall & Eade 2010; Anderson, Brown & Jean 2012), the first attempt to connect translation studies with development studies has only been made within the past decade (Marais, 2013; Footitt, 2017; Delgado Luchner, 2018; Todorova, 2019). Some of the issues pertinent to Development Studies have been examined in more detail, such as translation practices in international organizations, and crises translation and conflict related interpreting.
Recently, the field of Development Studies is going through a major redefinition of its vision. Issues like “which powers dominate knowledge on development” and “how to break out of this domination” are mentioned as recurrent priorities (Mönks et al., 2017). Consequently, scholars have started questioning the geography of knowledge production and many concepts of modernity originating in the North. Local knowledge and contexts are emphasized and new knowledge ecologies originating in the South are emerging. These are intrinsically linked to translation practices, which have not been included in the debate. This special issue will be open to research on translation practices in development-related settings in terms of both the underlying ‘western’-centric conceptual assumptions and global development trends, but we want to move the debate further and focus on topics that have not been tackled as much. Possible topics (list not exhaustive) include:
- Translation and ‘localization’ of development
- Translation and development in emerging economies (such as Brazil, China and South Africa)
- Translation and South-South cooperation
- Translation, development, and indigeneity
- Translation and indigenous languages
- Translation and development of multiculturalism
- Multimodal translation in development communication
- Translation and philanthropy
- Translation and aid effectiveness
- Methodological and epistemological approaches
Finally, this special issue will allow translation studies scholars to address the issues of development related translation. At the same time, development studies scholars will benefit from cross-pollination with the field of translation studies and, in particular, social and activist approaches to translation, with language being used as a tool for transformation and change (Baker & Saldanha, 2011, p. xxi).
Selected papers will be submitted to a double-blind peer review as requested by LANS.
Practical information and deadlines
Proposals: Please submit abstracts of approximately 500 words, including relevant references (not included in the word count), to both Marija Todorova (marija.todorova@gmail.com) and Kobus Marais (jmarais@ufs.ac.za).
Abstract deadline: 1 May 2021
Acceptance of abstract proposals: 1 July 2021
Submission of papers: 1 December 2021
Acceptance of papers: 28 February 2022
Submission of final versions of papers: 1 June 2022
Editorial work (proofreading, APA, layout): June-November 2022
Publication: December 2022
References
Anderson, M., Brown, D., & Jean, I. (2012). Time to Listen: Hearing People on the Receiving End of International Aid. Cambridge, MA: CDA Collaborative Learning Projects.
Banerjee, S. B. (2003). Who sustains whose development? Sustainable development and the reinvention of nature. Organization Studies, 24(1), 143-180.
Clemens, M. A., Radelet, S., & Bhavnani, R. (2004). Counting chickens when they hatch: the short-term effect of aid on growth. Center for Global Development Working Paper 44.
Cornwall, A. (2007) Buzzwords and fuzzwords: Deconstructing development discourse. Development in Practice, 17, 471–84.
Cornwall, A., & Eade, D. (Eds.). (2010). Deconstructing Development Discourse: Buzzwords and Fuzzwords. Warwickshire, UK: Practical Action Publishing.
Crush, J. C. (1995). Imagining Development. In J. C. Crush (Ed.), Power of Development (pp. 1–23). London, UK: Routledge.
Delgado Luchner, C. (2018). Contact zones of the aid chain: The multilingual practices of two Swiss development NGOs. Translation Spaces, 7(1), 44–64.
Escobar, A. (1995). Encountering Development: The Making and Unmaking of the Third World. Princeton, NJ: Princeton University Press.
Footitt, H. (2017). International aid and development: Hearing multilingualism, learning from intercultural encounters in the history of OxfamGB. Language and Intercultural Communication, 17(4), 518–533.
Marais, K. (2018). Translation and development. In J. Evans, & F. Fernandez (Eds.) The Routledge Handbook of Translation and Politics (pp. 95-109). London, UK: Routledge.
Marais, K. (2014). Translation Theory and Development Studies: A Complexity Theory Approach. London, UK: Routledge.
Marais, K. (2013). Exploring a conceptual space for studying translation and development. Southern African Linguistics and Applied Language Studies, 31(3), 403-414.
Mönks, J., Carbonnier, G., Mellet, A., & de Haan, L. (2017). Towards a renewed vision of Development Studies. International Development Policy – Revue internationale de politique de développement, 8(1), https://doi.org/10.4000/poldev.2393.
Sanz Martins, A. (2018). Development in so many words The Oxfam GB experience. Translation Spaces, 7(1), 106 – 118.
Todorova, M. (2019). Civil society in translation: Innovations to political discourse in Southeast Europe, The Translator, 24(4), 353-366.
Training the trainer: Webinar series for translator and interpreter training
A webinar series for translator and interpreter training under the auspices of ATSA (Association for Translation Studies in Africa) and the University of the Free State
Coordinators: Prof. Prof. Kobus Marais (ATSA and University of the Free State, South Africa) and Prof.
Maria Gonzalez Davies (University Ramon Llull, Barcelona, Spain)
Introduction:
As the field of translation studies develops in Africa, requirements for training are growing. In particular,
there seems to be a movement from an interest in mere technical training to a fully-fledged scholarly
education in translation studies on the continent. Against this background, colleagues on the continent
have expressed an interest in training the trainer courses for lecturers in translation and interpreting
studies who need to design and teach at MA and PhD level.
In response, this a proposal for webinar series in 2021 to fulfil this need. This series also addresses
administrators setting up new educational programmes in translation, training leaders at translation
agencies, as well as students embarking on MA courses or doctoral studies and any readers interested in
the interface between translation and education.
The following is envisaged:
- A fully online webinar series of seven sessions of 90 minutes each for 2021.
- Six of these sessions will be facilitated by international experts on translator education, and two
(one at the beginning and one at the end) will be facilitated by ATSA to situate the webinar in the
African context (https://translationstudiesafrica.com/) . - The six content sessions would be on the approaches and methods of translation/interpreting
teaching. This would include topics like team teaching, ICT and curriculum design. - One session each will be focused on translation and another on interpreting, but participants from
both interest groups can attend both. - ATSA will provide a certificate of attendance, stipulating the hours and topics attended.
- All the seminar leaders are invited to participate in al the seminars.
Please click here to view the programme.
Registration:
Please register by paying the registration fees into the following account:
NAME OF ACCOUNT: ASSOCIATION FOR TRANSLATION STUDIES IN AFRICA
ACCOUNT NUMBER: 62691743746
BANK: FIRST NATIONAL BANK
BRANCH CODE: 250655
COUNTRY: SOUTH AFRICA
SWIFT CODE: FIRNZAJJ
REFERENCE: INITIALS+SURNAME
Please e-mail proof of payment to our treasurer, Prof Ilse Feinauer, at aef@sun.ac.za and to the
organizer, Prof Kobus Marais, at jmarais@ufs.ac.za
Deadline for registrations: 25 January 2021
REGISTRATION FEES:
If one participant registers for all 8 webinars: $40
If one participant registers for only some of the webinars: $10 per webinar
If a University/Department register, they can register as many participants as they want: $80
PhD position: KU Leuven, Belgium
KU Leuven’s Research Group Translation and Intercultural Transfer brings together researchers from Leuven, Brussels, Antwerp and Kortrijk who deal with the complex and dynamic relationships within and between cultures. The PhD student will be part of this RG, within the larger whole of the Research Unit Translation Studies of the Faculty of Arts.
This joint PhD project will be based at KU Leuven with a minimum 12 month stay at The University of Melbourne.
PhD project: “Language is (not) a barrier”: Towards effective translation policies and practices for official communication with culturally and
linguistically diverse (CALD) communities in Brussels
More information is available here: https://atranslationstudiesafrica.files.wordpress.com/2020/11/ku_leuven_phd_position_ad.pdf
ATSA 