Liberating Translation I: Liberation from Soviet Research and Translation Traditions

Session Submission Type: Panel

Brief Description

This panel is submitted as part of the panel stream “Liberating Translation.” The panel brings together an international group of scholars who explore the liberating potential of translation and questions the prevalence of Soviet-era translation practices and theoretical approaches. Hannu Kemppanen applies the methodological framework of translation erratology to question the dominance of Russian researchers and the influence of the concept of “one correct translation.” Maria Rewakowicz’s paper offers innovative reading of Patricia Nell Warren’s Ukrainian poetry, showcasing how linguistic self-exile becomes a means of creative liberation from linguistic norms. In turn, Maija Burima’s paper analyzes the strategies employed by Orbita group poets, to reveal how bilingual poetry collections become a space for experimental interaction between linguistic systems. Taken together, these papers present a comprehensive view of translation as a transformative force, breaking free from linguistic constraints, cultural expectations, and entrenched research traditions. The panel encourages reflection on the nuanced dynamics of translation and its role in liberating voices, ideas, and artistic expressions from the dominant paradigms of the Soviet era.

Sub Unit

• Linguistics/Language Pedagogy/Translation

Chair

• Evita Badina, Daugavpils U (Latvia)

Papers

• Liberation from Mistakes: Erratology as an Approach to Translation Studies in Russian and Soviet Research Tradition - Hannu Kemppanen, U of Eastern Finland (Finland)

• The Liberating Spirit of Patricia Nell Warren’s Ukrainian Poetry: Challenges and Rewards of Rending It into English - Maria G. Rewakowicz, U of Washington

• Translation of Cultural References: Text Group 'Orbita' Strategies - Maija Burima, Daugavpils U (Latvia)

Discussant

• Eugenia Kelbert, Institute of World Literature, Slovak Academy of Sciences