Human Translators in Focus: Exploring the Human Aspects of Japanese Literary Translation through a Sociological Lens

The human aspects of literary translation have been attracting increasing scholarly attention across Translation Studies. The shift from focusing on translation as a product to examining the human translator has emerged as a sub-field, termed "Literary Translator Studies" (Kaindl 2021). Recent research on human translators offers new methodological approaches that examine literary translators through a sociological lens, highlighting the multifaceted roles they perform beyond translation: from image-building and visibility-attracting (Sela-Sheffy 2008, 2010), to engaging directly with readers and marketing themselves on social media (Fini 2024), to their involvement in self-publishing (Marin-Lacarta 2018) and teaching translation (Woods 2020). These approaches emphasise the significance of translators' roles beyond the chain of translated literature production.

However, literary translation studies in the Japanese context—an underrepresented area within the discipline in general— traditionally tends towards close reading-based approaches to text analysis or biographical-based studies in historical contexts (Wakabayashi 2012 175-176). Nonetheless, a human translator-focused approach is highly relevant to the Japanese context, as demonstrated by research such as that by Bilodeau (2019), Karashima (2020), Zielinska-Elliott (2020), and Akashi (2018, 2024) which highlights the significance of translators' contributions to the popularity of their source authors and works in receiving cultures. Similarly, other human aspects of translation—such as translators' roles in giving target readers access to the voices of marginalised communities in the source culture (e.g., Okinawan, Ainu, and Zainichi Korean)—not only by translating their literature but also through activities like public talks, workshops, and interviews, could foster meaningful discussions within the discipline. This conference aims to bring researchers and translators together and develop dialogue that advances Japanese Translation Studies and raises the visibility of the Japanese context within Translation Studies.

Additional workshop (in-person): Bringing dialogue to life

When you book your ticket, you will also have the option to register for this additional workshop.

In this workshop, participants will explore creative strategies for crafting dialogue in translation together. Through close reading and maybe a game or two, participants will gain confidence in their ability to develop voices on the page that feel vivid, fresh and authentic. The participants are asked to translate a short text beforehand.

This workshop is hosted by Morgan Giles, Translator of Tokyo Ueno Station by Yu Miri.