New project on feminist translation

[IwantToRetire]

Dr Hilary Brown will be leading a project over 2024-25 which will explore what feminist translation means in practice in the twenty-first century.

Dr Brown has been awarded an AHRC Networking grant, together with her co-investigator Dr Olga Castro (University of Warwick/Barcelona), and will be establishing a "Feminist Translation Network" which will bring together researchers, practitioners and educators to discuss feminist approaches to contemporary literary translation in English.

The Network will ask questions such as:
What is feminist translation (e.g. how does it differ - or not - from translations by women/of women or from queer translation/gender-inclusive translation)?
Is feminist translation a matter of identity or a matter of practice?
What are the goals of feminist translation and whom is it for?

The Network will address these themes at a series of free public events held over 2024-25, beginning with a translation 'slam' and roundtable discussion at the Birmingham Literature Festival in October 2024.

The Network's activities will be overseen by a steering group which includes former DoML staff member Dr Gaby Saldanha.

https://www.birmingham.ac.uk/news/2024/new-project-on-feminist-translation

I have no idea what this means as it is above my pay grade / education level, but might be of interest to others.

So my first question is what is the waterfull a metaphor? Can someone give me a feminist translation?

https://www.vox.com/identities/2017/11/20/16651634/odyssey-emily-wilson-translation-first-woman-english

this sounds fascinating, thanks for posting about it

@Mary7241 That's a fascinating article, thanks so much for linking it.

The feminist translation of Beowulf is hugely enjoyable. There are several podcasts and interviews with Headley and they're very lively.

Maria Dahvana Headley's revisionist translation infuses the Old English poem with feminism and social-media slang

https://www.newyorker.com/magazine/2020/08/31/a-beowulf-for-our-moment

Interesting article, @Mary7241 . I guess when I read the first post, I was thinking, "What is a feminist translation? Surely your translation just shows the meaning?" And I see now I was wrong.

The politics and processes of translation are fascinating, especially with poetry but most languish don’t have very straightforward synonyms for every word. I’ve had language a-level students do coursework on translations of Don Quixote and La Morte D’Arthur for example, and the translations often reveal as much about the time and politics of the translator as the original work

I wish my teacher had given me that perspective when I ploughed my way through Juanita la Larga back in the day. I'd have found the way I was translating it into English so much more interesting.

I love this Board, there is always something new to learn. Thanks @IwantToRetire for another golden nugget.

I too read feminist translation as being about ?translation? ...

But thanks for the examples I sort of grasp it now.

And am really glad they have said this:

How does it differ - or not - from translations by women/of women or from queer translation/gender-inclusive translation

A clear indication of appreciating the differences between those 2 categores and feminism.