Abstracts for papers are invited for a one-day colloquium co-hosted by the University of Oxford and Queen's University Belfast on the translation of French poetry into English in the later Middle Ages, to be held on the 20th March 2010 at St. Hilda's College Oxford. The conference will aim investigate the concept of 'translation' between the two vernaculars during this period, taking into account linguistic concerns, but also questions of the bibliographical, cultural and formal shifts which may occur through the practice of translation.
Topics for discussion could include (but are not limited to):
- The translation of poetic form and structure from one language to another
- Precise lexical choices (or 'choices of vocabulary') made by a translator or translators
- Translation as practical (or 'physical') displacement; the movement of exemplars, manuscripts and books across the channel
- The translation of texts between different codicological formats; e.g. manuscript to print.
- The contemporary reception and demand for translated texts
- The implication of contemporary political discourses within acts of translation
Proposals for papers of approximately 20 minutes, in either French or English are invited; speakers from all disciplines are most welcome. Please send your proposed title and abstract (max. 300 words) to: liv.robinson@gmail.com and m.neilly@qub.ac.uk by 1st October 2009.
Confirmed conference speakers include Ardis Butterfield (UCL) and Juliette Dor (Université de Liège).