Getting Other Voices Heard: Literary Translation and Publishing Challenges 

1st Dec 2015 6:00pm-8:00pm 

LINKS (London Intercollegiate Network for Comparative Studies) - Programme 2015-16

LINKS is a collaboration between London institutions involved in teaching and research in comparative literary studies, to promote dialogue and cooperation. Participating institutions include Birkbeck, King’s, Goldsmiths, Queen Mary, Royal Holloway, SOAS and UCL.

1 December 2015, 18.00-20.00 in Room 243, Senate House (second floor)

Getting Other Voices Heard: Literary Translations and Publishing Challenges

Ellen Jones, Criticism Editor, Asymptote and PhD Candidate, Queen Mary

The online journal Asymptote celebrates the central role of translation in world literature, and encourages critical reading by providing multiple versions of a work: original, translation(s), and even sound recording and illustration. Only just over 4% of all published literature in the UK is in translation, and Asymptote’s Criticism Editor will discuss the challenges involved in trying to increase that percentage. She will explore alternative models such as “virtual” editorial teams and advance subscription models, and will highlight the particular the difficulties of disseminating writing in less commonly translated languages. As more mixed-language writing emerges from a globalised world where sociolinguistic diversity is the norm, so the need for collaborative translation practices increases, as exemplified by the July 2015 Asymptote special feature on multilingual writing. As well as to discuss these important issues, there will be an opportunity to learn how to get involved with the journal.