First Circular and Call for Papers

XVI SYMPOSIUM FOR TRANSLATION AND INTERPRETING STUDIES

KäTu2018: THE PRICE OF TRANSLATION

University of Turku 13–14 April 2018

THEME OF THE KäTu2018 SYMPOSIUM

The theme of the 2018 KäTu Symposium is The Price of Translation. With this theme, we wish to raise discussion on the price of translation and interpreting both in its concrete and abstract sense. How much are translators and interpreters paid today and who pays them? What did translation cost a thousand, a hundred or fifty years ago? Can a price be defined in other ways than money? How is the constant state of flux of the translation industry reflected in the well-being of translators? How does tendering affect the quality of translation and interpreting? In which circumstances do the negative aspects of translation outweigh the benefits? Can translation research have any negative effects?

The theme can be approached, for instance, from the following points of view:

Cost efficiency in the translation and interpreting industry
Questions of the quality-price ratio of translation/interpreting
The well-being of translators and interpreters
The past, present and future fees of translators and interpreters
The material and psychological costs of the increase of translation and interpreting technology
Translating vs not translating from an ethical perspective
Translation and interpreting as a means of oppression or manipulation
Ethical questions concerning research funding in Translation Studies
The dark side of translation research – does it exist?

Keeping in line with the traditions of the KäTu symposia, papers on other issues of translation and interpreting are also warmly welcome.

PURPOSE

The KäTu symposia are intended to offer the researchers, teachers and practitioners of translation and interpreting a forum where they can discuss the diverse phenomena of the field, their on-going research projects, and the state and development of translation studies in general. One particular focus is on PhD students, to whom the symposia offer a chance to present their work and receive feedback at different stages of its development.

For fifteen years, the KäTu symposia have brought together professionals and scholars from all corners of the fields of translation and interpreting, both as audience and speakers. Each symposium is organised in turn by a Finnish university offering training for translators and interpreters together with the Teachers’ and Researchers’ Section of the Finnish Association of Translators and Interpreters (SKTL). The symposium of 2018 is organised at the University of Turku.

PRESENTATIONS, WORKSHOPS AND POSTERS

The speakers of the 2018 plenary presentations are Associate Professor Joss Moorkens (Dublin City University) and Professor Outi Paloposki (University of Turku). The provisional title of Moorkens’ lecture is Translation in times of austerity, whilst Paloposki’s is entitled Arvo, korvaus ja hinta. Miten kääntämisestä on Suomessa palkittu? Mikä on kääntämisen hinta? (“Value, remuneration and price. How has translation work been rewarded in Finland? What is the price of translation?”). In addition to the plenary lectures, the programme will consist of presentations in parallel sessions (20 + 10 minutes), workshops and poster presentations. The workshops will be allocated two-hour sessions, which makes them well-suited for addressing a broad topic in general terms (as panel discussions or in small groups) or for investigating a specific problem-based subject together. A separate, one-hour session will be reserved for posters, and the best poster will receive an award.

Please submit your proposals for workshop themes by Friday 17 November 2017 and proposals for presentations and posters by Friday 12 January 2018. All proposals (max. 300 words) should be sent as email attachments in .rtf, .doc or .docx format to katu2018[at]utu.fi. The subject field of the message and the proposal itself must specify whether the proposal concerns a workshop, a session presentation, or a poster.

More information on the workshops will be provided in the next circular, and the accepted papers will be announced by 7 February 2018.

TRAINING EVENT FOR PHD STUDENTS ON 12 APRIL, 2018

A training event aimed primarily at doctoral candidates will be organised in connection with the symposium on Thursday 12 April, 2018. Further information on the event will be provided in the second circular.

LANGUAGES

The primary working languages in the symposium and the sessions are Finnish, Swedish and English. For the use of other languages and any possible need for interpreting, contact the organisers.

TIEDON HELMI (PEARL OF KNOWLEDGE) AWARD

The Tiedon helmi award, granted annually by the Teachers’ and Researchers’ Section of the Finnish Association of Translators and Interpreters, will be awarded in the symposium for the third time. The award is granted on alternate years for research or teaching merits to a person or a community either for an extraordinary act, long-term activity or their life’s work. In 2018, the award will be granted for teaching merits.

The decision on the award is made by the board of the Finnish Association of Translators and Interpreters on the basis of the proposal of the Committee of the Teachers’ and Researchers’ Section. The proposal is based on nominations from the members of the Teachers’ and Researchers’ Section. Members must carefully observe the principles of nomination, which are available in Finnish at https://sktl-fi.directo.fi/jasenet/opettajat-ja-tutkijat/toiminta/tiedon-helmi-palkinto/.

Proposals explicating the reasons for the nomination should be sent to the Section’s secretary, Turo Rautaoja (e-mail: turo.rautaoja[at]utu.fi) by 14 February 2018.

PUBLICATION

Articles based on the presentations given at the symposium will be compiled into the 12^th volume of the electronic publication MikaEL. All speakers, poster presenters and organisers of workshops and panels are invited to contribute with a previously unpublished article. The 12^th volume will be published in March-April 2019 before the next KäTu Symposium. The previous publications can be found at http://www.sktl.fi/liitto/seminaarit/mikael-verkkojulkaisu/. The editors of the 12^th volume will be announced at the symposium, and contributor guidelines will be sent to all participants via e-mail after the symposium as well as updated on the webpages of the publication.

INFORMATION AND CONTACT DETAILS

Circulars pertaining to the KäTu2018 Symposium will be published on the symposium’s website at https://katu-symposiumi.com/. The second circular, containing information on registration, fees, accommodation, and other practical matters, will be published in December 2017. Kindly use the email address katu2018[at]utu.fi for all correspondence about the symposium.

ORGANISERS

University of Turku

Kristiina Taivalkoski-Shilov (chair of the local organising committee)

Laura Ekberg

Tiina Holopainen

Maarit Koponen

Turo Rautaoja

Leena Salmi

Outi Veivo

The Finnish Association of Translators and Interpreters,
Teachers’ and Researchers’ Section

Ritva Hartama-Heinonen, University of Helsinki (Section Chair)

Juha Eskelinen, University of Helsinki

Anne Ketola, University of Tampere

Turo Rautaoja, University of Turku

Minna Ruokonen, University of Eastern Finland

Nestori Siponkoski, University of Vaasa