Pontydd Cyfieithu: Translations Connect Nations

Pontydd Cyfieithu: Translations Connect Nations

31 January 2017

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On the 19th of January, a conference on translation in literature and the humanities was held at the National Library of Wales, Aberystwyth.

Jointly organised by the University of Wales Centre for Advanced Welsh and Celtic Studies (CAWCS) and the Centre for Cultural Translation at Aberystwyth University, and sponsored by Coleg Cymraeg Cenedlaethol, the conference, entitled Pontydd Cyfieithu [Translation Bridges], was held through the medium of Welsh.

The aim of the day’s proceedings was to bring together authors, translators and academics to discuss their own translation work and research on translation across a number of disciplines.

The morning sessions focused on the academic side of translation, highlighting recent databases of translations that will enable future researchers to access text of the past, the challenges translation poses for Welsh and other small languages, and the value of translated texts for the historian. The afternoon featured Welsh writers and poets, who in round table talks discussed translating their own work, and that of other authors, to reach new audiences and build bridges with other cultures, and the challenges and cultural consideration faced by authors when translating.

Individual speakers on the day included Professor Elin Haf Gruffydd Jones, who spoke about the challenges of translating key works into Welsh and smaller languages, and Dr Marion Löffler, who lectured on Translations of the ‘Marseillaise’ in Wales 1796–1914. Dr Eurig Salisbury and Ned Thomas discussed perspectives and experiences of translating with Sioned Puw Rowlands, and a panel including Manon Steffan Ros, Siân Northey, Guto Dafydd and George Jones discussed ‘The writer, the translator and literary translation’ with Mari Siôn of the Wales Literature Exchange.

To close the conference a public reception was held to launch a special edition of the Welsh-language literary journal Llên Cymru. Founded in 1950, the journal’s editorial purpose is to publish the highest quality academic research on Welsh literature of any period. In keeping with the theme of the conference, this special edition of the journal contains articles on cultural translation and an exciting wide range of topics in the same field.