Translation Studies Research Seminar Series: Josep Llobera Capllonch

About the event

by Josep Llobera Capllonch

Challenging the binary notions of writer and translator, foreign and domestic, source text and target text, self-translation constitutes a revolutionary act in itself by avoiding simplistic categorisation.

Self-translation, precisely because it challenges the binary logic of ordinary translation practices, offers a broader and unpolarised perspective from which to reassess outdated preconceptions about L2 translation. Needless to say, directionality is a topic that has been neglected by traditional translation studies, which considered L2 translation an inappropriate practice, if not an impossible one to undertake successfully.

However, as a consequence to the empirical turn taken by the field in the nineties, a series of publications proved that L2 translation and L1 translation were equally valid and that, therefore, the problem seemed to lie not in a gap of quality between the two but in the well-rooted skepticism towards L2 translation, and in the consequent lack of theory to guide, support and encourage its practice.

This talk aims to contribute to the L2 translation debate by a) presenting arguments in favour of L2 translation practice and b) listing the different difficulties I found when self-translating my novel 'La necesidad es un pato' from Spanish into English, as well as explaining the strategies I designed to overcome them. Thus, referring to Samuel Beckett’s self-translation methodology and Alice Whitmore’s “alienating translation approach” to Fadanelli’s novel '¿Te veré en el desayuno?', I argue for an approach that acknowledges linguistic hybridity and uses it creatively as a resource to both engage the target audience and foreground one’s own discursive practices.

The resulting case study points out hybridity’s contextualisation and L2 translator’s confidence as key aspects to produce a successful target text and it emphasises, as well, the potential of L2 translation as a means to expand the expressive range of a language.

About the speaker

Josep Llobera Capllonch is a Mallorcan writer and translator based in Edinburgh. Previously, he lived in Barcelona where he studied a degree in aeronautical engineering. During those formative years he completed a novel written in Spanish titled 'La necesidad es un pato' (2014).

Subsequently, Josep moved to Scotland to work on his English, eventually reaffirming himself as a man of letters with a master’s degree in Translation Studies from the University of Edinburgh. His interest in writing and translation led him to do a practical research on self-translation resulting in the English version of his novel 'Necessity is a duck'.

In spite of his academic and literary pursuits, a part-time job as a waiter sparked an interest in hospitality and wine that led him to reinvent himself once more as a sommelier and restaurant manager. Still, Josep continues to write and translate. He penned the book of visual poems 'Thirteen Concrete Dreams & a Fool' (2022), self-translated it into Catalan and has now pending of publication the Catalan translation of Fernando Pessoa’s 'The Mad Fiddler'.

How to attend

This event is open to all, and free to attend. No registration is required for attendance in person; you can email Translation Studies colleagues for online joining details.

About the seminar series

Each semester, we welcome a fantastic range of guest speakers and colleagues to present a seminar on their work in translation.

Our seminar series is run collaboratively by staff and postgraduate students, enabling our early career researchers to build networks and experience.

Entry is free and no booking is required. Everyone is welcome.

Are you interested in Translation Studies at Edinburgh?

Providing excellent teaching and supervision, our postgraduate MSc and PhD programmes are among the UK's most comprehensive and flexible. Our expertise covers a wide range of research areas and many languages, of which you can choose to work with two.