Call for Papers | Translation and North Korean Literature, Film and Animation

Thursday, April 23, 2020 | York University, Toronto, Ontario, Canada

Deadline: Friday, November 22, 2019

The roles and functions of translators and translations in studies of North Korean literature, film and animation have received little attention. Translators during the Japanese colonial period imported foreign works that contributed to the formation of modern Korean literature. Although foreign influence was downplayed in North Korea with the implementation of Chuch’e Sasang (Self-Reliance Thought) in the 1960s, translations continue to be influential.

We welcome papers dealing with:

• Translations in North Korea of foreign literary works, including those for children
• Translations of North Korean literary works into English and other languages
• Comparisons of literary translations in North and South Korea
• Translation and export of North Korean films and animation
• Related topics.

This workshop will examine, among other questions:

• What roles did translators play in the formation of North Korea?
• What are the constraints and enabling factors governing the work of North Korean translators?
• What has been the reception of translated North Korean literary works, films and animation internationally?
• To what extent can translators contribute to a rapprochement between North and South Korea?

Jeon Young Sun, Professor at the Institute of the Humanities for Unification at Konkuk University, will open the workshop with a keynote on “North-South Korean Cultural Translation, Why We Need It: Focusing on Animation.”

Please submit the following to kore@yorku.ca by Friday, November 22, 2019:

• 250-word abstract with title
• 6 keywords
• 100-word presenter bio

This workshop is organized by Professor Theresa Hyun (Department of Humanities, York University) and Professor Thomas Klassen (School of Public Policy and Administration, York University) and presented by the Korean Office for Research and Education (KORE) at York University, which is funded by the Academy of Korean Studies.

For more information please contact kore@yorku.ca or visit https://kore.info.yorku.ca/