Translation and the borders of contemporary Japanese literature: Inciting difference

In this talk, Vicky Young discussed her monograph, Translation and the borders of contemporary Japanese literature: Inciting difference. The book examines contemporary debates on such concepts as national literature, world literature, and the relationship of each of these to translation, through the lens of modern Japanese fiction. By focusing on so-called marginalised voices from within Okinawan literature and zainichi literature written by ethnic Koreans, and other “trans-border” works, this book reveals tensions and blind spots that serve to decentre the image of Japanese literature presented to the world in translation, while opening critical connections to wider questions of multilingualism, decolonisation, historical revisionism, and trauma that are so central to contemporary literary studies.

Young began by reflecting on the current ‘boom’ in Japanese literature in translation alongside the rising scholarly interest in world literature before considering the implications of these developments in the light of Japan’s modern literary history. She then introduced a selection of rich literary works that remain untranslated and even appear untranslatable, but which invite us to reexamine the terrain of Japanese literature and what it means to translate.

The recording of this talk can be viewed here:

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