Literary translation, canons, ideologies
Traduction littéraire, canons et idéologies
Anthologies and anthological forms in Europe during WW2 (1939-45)
Anthologies et formes anthologiques en Europe durant la Seconde Guerre mondiale (1939-45)
Published on Thursday, December 19, 2024
Abstract
Recent research on literary translation into French in France and Belgium between 1940 and 1944 has revealed that, during the German Occupation, a significant number of anthologies of translated texts were published in France, both as standalone volumes and in periodicals. What happens if we move beyond the French-speaking world to the broader European context during World War II? Is a similar phenomenon documented in other countries? If so, are there notable “anthological phenomena” associated with specific works, genres, or authors? This conference will employ both qualitative and quantitative approaches to provide the most detailed and nuanced account possible of a literary phenomenon that remains largely unexplored.
Announcement
International conference organised by Christine Lombez (Nantes Université)
13-14/11 2025, CUNP/FMSH (Paris)
Argument
Recent research on literary translation into French in France and Belgium between 1940 and 1944, conducted as part of the TSOcc program (www.tsocc.univ-nantes.fr), has revealed that, during the German Occupation, a significant number of anthologies of translated texts were published in France, both as standalone volumes and in periodicals. The creation of an anthology – never a neutral act – takes on even greater significance in this context: through the selection of authors it promotes in a constrained and ideologically charged environment, the anthology in its broader sense (including selections, collections, and series) reflects literary positions that were, in most cases, also political stances. During the Occupation, those collaborating with the regime sought to establish new literary canons, while the Resistance endeavored to challenge them. The anthology thus became a “symbolic battlefield,” offering opposing or even rival perspectives depending on the side from which they originated.
What happens if we move beyond the French-speaking world to the broader European context during World War II? Is a similar phenomenon documented in other countries? If so, are there notable “anthological phenomena” associated with specific works, genres, or authors? We will also explore the roles of the key actors involved in this process (anthologists, translators – who often overlapped with anthologists –, publishers) and the nature of these publications: were they legal or clandestine? Were there ghost editions (never actually published)? Were the anthologies published in the country of origin or in exile? Were they retrospective or prospective in nature? The networks that actively participated in the creation and dissemination of these anthologies during the war will also be a key area of investigation.
Organized as part of the ERC TranslAtWar program (https://translatwar-erc.eu PI Christine Lombez, Nantes Université), this conference will employ both qualitative and quantitative approaches to provide the most detailed and nuanced account possible of a literary phenomenon that remains largely unexplored.
Submission guidelines
Proposals (400 words maximum, in French or English, accompanied by a brief biobibliographical introduction) should be submitted to christine.lombez@univ-nantes.fr
no later than March 31, 2025.
Submissions will be reviewed by the conference's scientific committee, and decisions will be communicated by June 30, 2025.
Scientific comittee of the conference
- Christine Amadou (Université d’Oslo)
- Lucile Arnoux-Farnoux (Université de Tours) Olivier Brossard (Université Gustave Eiffel) François Géal (Université Lyon 2)
- Pauline Giocanti (Nantes Université) Christine Lombez (Nantes Université) Alexis Tautou (Université Rennes 2)
Subjects
- Language (Main category)
- Mind and language > Language > Literature
- Periods > Modern > Twentieth century > 1939-1945
- Zones and regions > Europe
Places
- CUNP/FMSH, Paris - 54 boulevard Raspail | 75006 Paris
Paris, France (75)
Event attendance modalities
Full on-site event
Date(s)
- Monday, March 31, 2025
Attached files
Contact(s)
- Julia CHAMPAGNAC
courriel : translatwar [at] univ-nantes [dot] fr
Reference Urls
Information source
- Julia CHAMPAGNAC
courriel : translatwar [at] univ-nantes [dot] fr
License
This announcement is licensed under the terms of Creative Commons CC0 1.0 Universal.
To cite this announcement
« Literary translation, canons, ideologies », Call for papers, Calenda, Published on Thursday, December 19, 2024, https://doi.org/10.58079/12yrn
