Deadline is in August, so you have plenty of time, but here’s all the info:

The second Nordic Translation Conference will take place on 4, 5, and 6 April 2013 at the University of East Anglia, in Norwich, England.

This quinquennial event is solely dedicated to the particular challenges and pleasures of translating between and among the Nordic countries, which are often closely related culturally, if not always linguistically. It is open to academics, students, translators, publishers, and others who work with the Nordic languages. The first such conference took place in London at the Institute of Germanic and Romance Studies in 2008 and it resulted in the book Northern Lights: Translation in the Nordic Countries (Peter Lang, 2009).

The keynote speakers in 2013 will include Andrew Chesterman, Riitta Oittinen, and Anna Mauranen. As in 2008, there will be workshops, talks, panels, and dual-language readings. Both academics and practising translators are encouraged to attend and present at the conference.

The conference will look at literary and non-literary translation of all kinds, including interpreting and subtitling, both between various Nordic languages and also between English and the Nordic languages. Nordic here includes Danish, Faroese, Finnish, Greenlandic, Icelandic, Norwegian, any of the Sámi dialects, and Swedish. Topics can include, but are not limited to, specific linguistic issues involved in translation/interpretation between two or more languages, analysis of particular texts/genres, professional issues, translating texts by or about minority groups, the translator/interpreter’s role, and the effect of cultural similarities/differences among Nordic countries.

In addition, the conference will include several workshops on relevant topics, such as working with specific languages or kinds of texts, using computer tools, finding reference materials, and so on. Those interested in running workshops are also invited to submit proposals.

Please send proposals (250-400 words) for workshops by 1 June 2012 and for conference papers by 15 August 2012 to B.J. Epstein and Gudrun Rawoens by e-mail at conference@nordictranslation.net or by regular mail to B.J. Epstein at the School of Literature, Drama and Creative Writing, University of East Anglia, Norwich Research Park, Norwich, England, NR4 7TJ. Along with the proposal, please include a brief biographical note.

Conference details are available . For ease of communication, English should be the primary conference language.

The Nordic Translation Conference will take place March 6, 7, and 8, 2008, at the Institute of Germanic and Romance Studies in London. This will be the first conference of its kind, the first to focus solely on the Nordic languages and their translation. The conference will look at literary and non-literary translation, both between various Nordic languages and also between English and the Nordic languages. Nordic here refers to Danish, Faroese, Finnish, Greenlandic, Icelandic, Norwegian, any of the Sámi dialects, and Swedish.

The speakers will include Douglas Robinson, Kirsten Malmkjær, Tiina Nunnally, Geoffrey Samuelsson-Brown, Janet Garton, and Martin Næs. Several Nordic authors will read from their most recent books. In addition, the conference will include panels and workshops on relevant topics. The conference dinner will be at the Houses of Parliament.

I’m always intrigued by events that include a dinner at Parliament . . .

Over the past few years, the Nordic countries have been making a concerted effort to get their books translated and out into the larger world. Although not directly connected with this conference, FILI, NORLA, Icelandic Literature Fund, and the Danish Arts Agency are among the best foreign cultural agencies in the world. (And yes, I am leaving off the Swedish Institute on purpose. With all the changes going on there I’m adopting a wait-and-see attitude.)

In addition to the plethora of crime novels coming out of Scandinavia, there are a number of interesting literary authors worth checking out. Dalkey’s published a few Finnish authors, like Rosa Liksom and Anita Konkka, we’re going to be doing the Norwegian Jan Kjaerstad, and Lars Saabye Christensen is another great author from there. In addition to Halldor Laxness, there are a few great Icelandic books worth checking out, including Bragi Olafsson’s The Pets and Hallgrimur Helgason’s 101 Reykjavik. Hopefully conferences like this will support all the great work the various agencies are doing and help make more Nordic lit available to English-readers.