Concept Note

"Mapping Indian Literatures in Translation: Contemporary and Beyond"

India’s literary fabric is multilingual, intricately layered, and characterised by its diversity. Each of these diverse literary threads from the subcontinent creates a rich tapestry of traditions, texts, and narratives. Translation is the channel through which these textual traditions travel across spatial and temporal boundaries. The study of translation is a critical lens to map and engage with the dynamic and evolutionary nature of Indian literatures and the cultural history of the region. To foster scholarly engagement with this area, the Department of Languages, Literature, and Aesthetics, Pandit Deendayal Energy University, in collaboration with the Department of Indian Languages, Banaras Hindu University, is organizing the second chapter of the Young Researchers' National Workshop on Contemporary Trends in Indian Literatures, with specific focus on Indian literatures in translation. The first chapter of the National workshop was successfully organized at Banaras Hindu University from 4-8 March, 2025, on the theme of contemporary trends in Indian literatures.

Objectives of the Workshop

The workshop aims to offer scholars and researchers the opportunity to understand and explore ongoing shifts and advancements in literary and cultural translation. It seeks to:

• Encourage the participants to engage with both traditional and contemporary approaches to translation.
• Foster profound understanding of the evolving landscape of Indian literary studies and its convergence with local and global translation practices.
• Investigate how contemporary translations of Indian Literatures share a space with technology, culture, memory, landscape and geography among others.
• Promote better communication among emerging academics, thus establishing a foundation for collaborative efforts.

Target Participants

The workshop is primarily designed for advanced PhD students and early-career researchers working in any area of Indian Literatures. Eligible participants include:

• PhD students who have completed at least 4 semesters of their PhD programme and working on Indian languages/Indian literatures/translation and related areas of research.
• Researchers who have completed their PhD within the last four years, are currently engaged in research or teaching at an Indian university/school, and are planning to develop publications.
• Researchers who have completed their PhD within the last seven years, are affiliated with an Indian university/school, and are in the process of applying for national or international research grants.
• Independent scholars who have completed their PhD within the last seven years, have a research project in mind pertaining to Indian literatures, and are planning to publish or apply for national or international research grants.
• Highly motivated recently graduated/enrolled MA students planning to develop a research proposal on Indian literatures/ Indian languages/translation and related areas of research.

Key Themes

The workshop will focus on, but not be limited to, the following broader themes:

• Literary translation
• Less translated languages (for example,
• languages of the North-East of India)
• Translation and technology
• Translation and culture
• Translation and memory
• Translation and performance
• Translation and aesthetics
• Adaptation/Retelling/Transformations
• Translation and vulnerability
• Translation and landscape/geography
• Translation and food cultures
• Religion/Sacredness in translation
• Translation and humour
• Orality and translation
• Translation and music/sound
• Translation evaluation
• Translation and literary historiography
• Translation and law

What the workshop will offer

• Selected scholars will present their work, followed by engaged discussions, attention and feedback.
• Keynote Lectures by renowned academics and authors who will share insights on contemporary trends in Indian literatures.
• Q&A and mentoring sessions to facilitate meaningful interactions among participants.

Expected Outcomes

The workshop aims to:

• Enhance understanding of contemporary trends in Indian literatures and translation.
• Encourage young researchers to adopt innovative approaches and methodologies.
• Build a collaborative network of scholars across institutions and linguistic boundaries.
• Publication of selected papers in cutting edge research journal/anthology. The modalities of which will be decided after looking at the quality of papers

Mode of Selection

Researchers from the categories mentioned above and aligning to the key themes of the workshop are encouraged to apply using the following link: https://forms.gle/3awDbCpBEFR6EwPk7

Completed application forms must be accompanied by a 500-word research statement and submitted by 30th June 2025. Successful applicants will be notified by 15th July 2025.

Selected participants are required to submit the full paper, previously unpublished, by 15th September 2025. Each submission must include a 250-word abstract. It is mandatory for participants to submit full papers in order to be able to present at the workshop.

All submissions will go through rigorous blind peer-review and plagiarism checks, so applicants are advised to refrain from submitting AI generated abstracts/papers.

Registration fee and other logistics

After the selection, the shortlisted participants have to pay the following registration fee to confirm participation:
The payment link will be shared only with the selected participants at a later date.

Teachers: Rs. 3500/-

PhD Scholars: Rs. 2500/-

Postgraduate Students: Rs. 1500/-

The registration fee will include a conference kit and working lunch, including tea and light refreshments, on all conference days. Participants will have to arrange their own travel and stay in Gandhinagar, Gujarat. However, on request, the organisers can help the participants with suggestions to find affordable accommodation near PDEU campus.

In case of any query, please contact: iltworkshop@sls.pdpu.ac.in

CONFIRMED PLENARY SPEAKERS FOR THE WORKSHOP

• Arka Chattopadhyay (Ph.D.: Western Sydney University, Harry Ransom Centre Fellowship 2023-2024 at UoT at Austin) Associate Professor, Dept. of Humanities and Social Sciences [IIT Gandhinagar]

• Avadhoot Dongare: Author and Translator [Independent]

• Chandrahas Choudhury: (M.A., M.Phil.: University of Cambridge)
  Novelist and Travel Writer [Independent]

• Chandrani Chatterjee: (Ph.D.: IIT Bombay, Fulbright Nehru Fellow 2012-13)
  Academic and Translation Scholar [Savitribai Phule Pune University]

• Jagadeesan T.: (Ph.D.: Jawaharlal Nehru University, New Delhi)
  Academic and Translator [Banaras Hindu University]

• Kamalakar Bhat: (Ph.D.: Savitribai Phule Pune University, BH Shridhar Literature Award 2023)
  Academic and Translator [Ahmednagar College, Savitribai Phule Pune University]

• Rahul Sarwate: (Ph.D.: Columbia University, New India Foundation Fellow 2022]
  Assistant Professor [Ahmedabad University]

• Rupalee Burke: (Ph.D.: Gujarat University)
  Professor and Translator [Shree Sahajanand Vanijya Mahavidyalaya, Ahmedabad]

• Sachin Ketkar: (Ph.D.: VNSGU, Gujarat, Lokanete Rajarambapu Patil Maharashtra Rajya Lalit Kala Rashtriya Puraskar 2024)
  Professor and Translator [The Maharaja Sayajirao University, Vadodara]

• Umesh Kumar: (Ph.D.: EFL-U, Charles Wallace Fellow, Edinburgh, 2019)
  Academic and Translator [Banaras Hindu University]

• Vasumathi Badrinathan: (Ph.D: University of Lille, France, Fulbright & Erasmus Mundus scholar, Eminent Vocalist)
  Translator and Professor of French Studies [Banaras Hindu University]

Note: This is a partial list, with more notable names to be added soon. The conveners are working to bring together experts to add value to the workshop.