Conference on Comparative Literature and Translation: Mapping Milestones, Tracing Trajectories

Organizer: Department of Comparative Literature, Jadavpur University in collaboration with the Comparative Literature Association of India in Memory of Dr. Chandra Mohan, former General Secretary of CLAI

  • When: 23rd – 25th July 2024- Three Day
  • Mode: Online
  • Registration Fee Needed
  • Call for Proposals
  • Registered participants are entitled to an attendance certificate

Comparative Literature has had 68 years of institutional history in India, over a century of history since Rabindranath Tagore talked about Viswasahitya, and over two and a half centuries since the encounter of plural Indian literature with Western literature. In a country with a rich history, and so many languages with overlapping areas and literary interests, it has been argued that there could be no study of literature other than Comparative Literature. Translation is an essential method in Comparative Literature since it allows access to other literary works that would otherwise be inaccessible. In this ‘disconnected era’ of war, displacement, migration, climate crisis, and the rise of violence against all sorts of minorities, we witness that the decline of humanities and liberal arts is coinciding. The current circumstances necessitate adopting a more linked and collaborative attitude towards the ‘other’ literatures. Our academic duty should be focused on discovering methods to create more interconnected spaces.

The conference therefore focuses on the role of translation in/and the field of Comparative Literature. For this conference, we seek papers and panels looking at the world history of Comparative Literature, its evolution and transformation, its historical relationship with other disciplines and approaches such as Cultural Studies and Translation Studies; we also look forward to papers that offer a close examination of Comparative Literature in India. Our other goal is to deal with translation as a diverse set of practices, a dynamic field of study, and a set of complex networks that affect our lives.

Call for Proposals

Proposals are invited from the following suggested themes (but not confined to them)

  • World Literature and Translation
  • Social and digital media, Comparative Literature and Translation
  • Reading Indian Literature as Comparatists
  • Pre-Colonial Indian Culture Contacts and Literatures
  • The history and practice of translation in India before colonialism
  • Translation as culture contact and imperial aims
  • Intralingual and intersemiotic translations
  • Institutional Histories of Comparative Literature in India
  • The Languages of Indian Literature: status of Comparative Literature in
    India
  • Investigations of less studied and/or less translated languages
  • The pedagogy of translations – using translations in the classrooms
  • Translations, adaptations, and cultural negotiations—power, subversion
  • Are we in the age of AI translations?
  • The role of translation in comics and graphic novels

Individual proposals may be submitted for Conference sessions (one session = 3/4 papers)

  • All the topics presented above may be considered as suggestions for further elaboration.
    • Individual proposals for papers to be presented in congress sessions will be scrutinized by a selection committee.
    • Proposals to organise panels. A full panel with a panel outline plus individual paper abstracts may be submitted. The selection committee will assess the panel.

There will also be plenary sessions organised by the hosts.

Abstracts are to be written in not more than 250 words. Panel proposals should have a 250-word panel abstract as well as individual paper proposals.
There is a plan to bring out a publication from selected papers. Papers should be submitted in not more than 6000 words, using the APA Style https://apastyle.apa.org/style-grammar-guidelines/references/examples

Submitted paper should include:

  • Title page with: Authors’ full name, designation, Affiliation, and Contact details.
  • Key words (3-5 words).
  • List of References.
  • An article should be formatted (A4) in the following way: Margins: 1 inch on all sides; Font: Times New Roman, Font size: 12, Line spacing-1.
  • Proposals must be written in English.

Please submit your proposals online via email: clinternationalconference24@jadavpuruniversity.in

REGISTRATION FEES AND DEADLINES

  • Registration for Faculty and independent scholars: Rs. 800 + GST 18%
  • Registration for Research Scholars: Rs. 600+ GST 18%
  • Registration for students: Rs. 400 + GST 18%
  • Registration for invited speakers: Nil

Note: The Google Doc link for registration as a participant will be uploaded shortly. The link for registration as a paper presenter will be sent with acceptance mail.

  • Individual proposal submission due (Conference sessions): June 30, 2024
  • Acceptance notice due: July 09, 2024
  • Panel proposal submission due: June 30, 2024
  • Panel acceptance notice due: July 09, 2024
  • Registration as participant only: From the date the
  • participant and payment gate open – about June 15, 2024
  • Registration as paper presenter: July 9 – July 19, 2024

Please register as an invited panelist/ paper presenter/ registered participant using the Google form that will be uploaded on the University website: Visit Here

The form will also be forwarded to those who are invited, those who have submitted abstracts that are accepted, and those who write that they would like to attend as registered participants.

Registration will be completed only after the payment is made through the payment gate linked to the Google document for your data.

Officials to be contacted, if necessary:
Prof. Kunal Chattopadhyay, Professor, Department of Comparative Literature, Jadavpur University, Kolkata, Email: kunal.chattopadhyay@jadavpuruniversity.in Phone No.: +91 9831398301.

Dr. Rindon Kundu, Treasurer, Comparative Literature Association of India, Email: rindon.k@srisriuniversity.edu.in Phone No.: +91 9038798770.

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