Literacy in translation - The Dundee Literary Festival focuses on language.
Published On Tue 11 Oct 2016 by Cara Longmuir
Language, how it brings people together, and what it might look like in the future will be explored at this year’s Dundee Literary Festival.
There will be several events during the festival’s run that shows the strength of bringing different countries and cultures together.
‘Sunlight and Shadows’ will see Panopticon author Jenni Fagan, South Korean author Hwang Jungeun and Man Booker International Prize-winning translator Deborah Smith discuss the creation of vivid award-winning words. This will take place at the Bonar Hall on Wednesday, 19th October at 6pm.
On Friday, 21st October, Gaelic and Scots will unite in science fiction in a world first, as Matthew Fitt revisits his cyberpunk Scots classic, But n Ben A-Go-Go, and Tim Armstrong takes Gaelic where it has never ventured before in his space opera, Air Cuan Dubh Drilseach (On a Glittering Black Sea). Both novels raise timely questions about how we communicate with the world and with ourselves.
Also on Friday 21st, Susana Moreira Marques from Portugal shares her illuminating reflection on death and dying, Now and at the Hour of our Death, while Saturday 22nd brings Eric Ngalle Charles, who came to Cardiff in 1999 on a Zimbabwean passport after being illegally trafficked into Russia while fleeing persecution.
Peggy Hughes, Programme Manager of the Dundee Literary Festival, said, “Translation allows literature to travel and brings global stories to new readers.
“In this our tenth birthday year we really wanted to highlight stories from across the globe, as well as from right here in Dundee, and to introduce people to a whole host of different voices, cultures and ideas.”
The Dundee Literary Festival will take place from Wednesday, 19th October to Sunday, 23rd October, with an additional event on 25th November.
This year it will feature X-Men and Goldeneye star Alan Cumming, singer-songwriter Roddy Woomble and former Makar Liz Lochhead.
For the full programme and to purchase tickets go to www.literarydundee.co.uk.
Dundee Literary Festival is produced by Literary Dundee and is a University of Dundee-led initiative that connects books, readers, writers and the brightest ideas, thanks to the University of Dundee and partners throughout the city and beyond.
For media enquiries contact:
Cara Longmuir
Media Relations Officer
University of Dundee
Nethergate, Dundee, DD1 4HN
Tel: +44 (0)1382 385243
Email: c.z.longmuir@dundee.ac.uk