PROJECT LEAD: Dr. Mamatha Sagar
Translation & Literary Studies Lab (TLS Lab)
Translation & Literary Studies Lab is a transdisciplinary research space introducing translation as a cultural tool to understand socio-political nuances of a given time and create collaborative spaces that can accommodate research and artistic engagements beyond and outside SMI. ‘What gets translated into culture’, is probed by using interdisciplinary lenses. Reading through literary texts, folk narratives, texts from public spaces and popular culture to know what gets translated into a given time will be probed through the research offered by this lab. Reading – reacting – recreating is the mantra followed in this lab space.
Vision Statement:
Translation & Literary Studies Lab draws inspiration from disciplines like Comparative Literature and Translation Studies. If Comparative Literature introduces historical and socio-political relevance of international and India literary traditions, Translation Studies notices motives behind cultural transformations. Students associated with this lab will create, translate and trans-create through writings and interdisciplinary engagements. We encourage translation activities seated in multilingual and transdisciplinary engagements. Located amidst streams like film, design and visual communication, TLS lab opens up collaborative ventures with all of these streams inviting students to get an exposure to diverse genres and the process of enquiry.
Focus Area Knowledge and Lenses used:
Translation & Literary Studies Lab will draw expertise from streams such as Feminism, Postcolonial & Cultural Studies, Comparative Literature, Contemporary Art Practice and Translation Studies. Storytelling, documentation, performance, community and site specific engagements are some of the tools offered to navigate through the work taken up by the TLS Lab.
Located in the interdisciplinary space of the SMI, the TLS lab tends to engage with diverse modes of understanding creative expression and evolving through the compatible skills.
Further it encourages towards applying the learnt skills, thoughts, cultural and socio-political implications to navigate through narrative expressions.
Texts examined and engaged at the TLS Lab:
- Cast and Gender narratives
- Versions of epics from the South
- Translating and Transcreating poetry, short stories and performance scripts
- Translating contemporary writings
- Experimenting with the aural, visual and the written texts
Research tasks:
The research tasks include addressing questions like:
- What are stereotypes? How do they reflect in a given social space?
- How does transcreating a social context shift the relevance of the given text?
- What role does translation and storytelling play in understanding our times?
- Key words: Gender, Caste, Nationalism, Religious and Socio-political implications
Contact: mamta.sagar (at) manipal (dot) edu