India – Wales Autumn Translation Workshop
In September 2014 LAF continued its cooperation with the Indian literary world with a translation workshop focusing on the translation of modern classics and contemporary prose between Bangla and Welsh. Four translators and academics from Jadavpur University – Professor Suchorita Chattopadhyay, Professor Ipshita Chanda, Dr Seemantini Gupta and Dr Sayantan Dasgupta – visited Aberystwyth and worked with Welsh authors and translators Sian Melangell Daffydd, Eurig Salisbury and Ned Thomas. The workshop was facilitated by Professor Elin Haf Gruffydd Jones, Director of the Centre for Cultural Translation at Aberystwyth University.
The works selected for the workshop included the cultural essays of the Bengali poet, playwright and writer Rabindranath Tagore (1860-1941) awarded the Nobel Prize for Literature in 1913 and a selection of short stories by emerging writer Tamal Bandyopadhyay. Welsh language texts include Tynged yr Iaith (The Fate of the Language) and Blodeuwedd by Saunders Lewis as well as contemporary short stories and poetry. The group also visited the National Library of Wales where there is a substantial collection of Tagore’s writings.
In January 2015 the workshop made the return visit India with a workshop focusing on Welsh, Nepali and Bengali literature held at Jadavpur University in Kolkata.
The workshop is held in cooperation with Centre for Cultural Translation and Mercator Institute at Aberystwyth University, and Wales Literature Exchange with the support of Wales Arts International.
More information about the workshop is available on the Aberystwyth University website.