PhD Project: A study of children’s literature in translation using data from Outside in World.
Funding: SWW DTP.
Supervisors: Dr Sophie Heywood (Reading), Dr Catherine Butler (Cardiff).
After graduating from Wellesley College in the US with a BA in Comparative Literature & French, Emma completed an MA in Translation at Lancaster University. Professionally, she has worked as a bookseller specialising in children’s books, written book reviews for industry publication Shelf Awareness, and been a communications manager for Asymptote, a leading journal of contemporary translated literature. She is currently a freelance translator, translating texts in a wide variety of genres. Her published translations include Wandering Memory by Jan J. Dominique (University of Virginia Press, 2021) and English versions of the French graphic novel adaptations of Enid Blyton’s Five on Treasure Island and Five Go Adventuring Again (Hachette, February 2022). Originally from Seattle, Washington, she is now based in Brighton.
In 21st century Britain, translation for children represents only a tiny portion of publications annually, and yet it has an outsized cultural importance and is increasingly being integrated into wider campaigns for diversity in children’s literature. One of the leading advocates in this field is Outside In World (OIW). Since 2005, it has been amassing an archive of contemporary translations for children published in the UK and actively promoting translation and diversity in children’s literature through events and educational materials. This project will feature the first in-depth study of Outside In World’s physical collection and digital archive, which present unique opportunities to explore the present and future of international children’s literature in the UK.
https://www.outsideinworld.org.uk/
