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Call for papers
37th Conference of the Canadian Association for Translation Studies
Université Laval, Québec
Translating and (re)creating
Translating and (re)creating
Translation studies has long considered that any act of translation involves a measure of invention, rewriting and imagination. The phenomenon has been studied as a whole (Bayer-Hohenwarter and Kußmaul, 2021) and from various angles: in learners (Bastin, 2000); in terms of criteria (Dancette et al., 2007); in assessment (Hubscher-Davidson, 2006); in religious texts (Nord, 2005); in dubbing (Chaume Varela, 1998). Although it is widely recognized that translators interpret, rewrite and reinvent, this conference seeks to consider all language acts—including translation, interpretation and terminology as well as the teaching of these disciplines—as being fundamentally creative, and to explore their contemporary manifestations.
Translating and Creating
Whether it be literary, artistic, pragmatic or specialized, translation draws on a form of creativity that translation studies has extensively documented (Kußmaul, 1991, 2000; Malmkjaer, 2020; Wilde, 1994). This stream explores the creative aspects of translation acts: creating, translating or transcreating artistic or digital contents, as well as the translator’s agency. In the digital age, as the production of multilingual content is being redefined and reinvented (Desjardins, 2017, 2022), how should this creativity be considered and recognized?
Translating and Reinventing
Retranslation, versioning, adaptation, transcreation, intersemiotic translation and self-translation are all practices where content is renewed, displaced or transformed. This stream questions the very notion of iteration in translation and the proliferation of variations. How can the “original” be rethought in light of its multiple (re)creations? How can both the practice and teaching of translation be reinvented? How can the next generations be trained for professions undergoing profound transformation?
Submissions can explore the following topics
Translating and Creating
Creative aspects of translation. The translator as creator.
Translating and creating (literature, film, gaming, theatre, music, visual arts)
Translation and digital content creation (localization, platforms, artificial intelligence)
Agency and the power to act. The role of the translator in the creative process.
Creativity, recognition and legal aspects. Authorship, visibility, conditions of creation.
Translating and Reinventing
Retranslation and versioning. Under what circumstances are contents revisited?
Versions, variations and rewriting. Rethinking the notion of “original.”
Adaptation, transcreation, self-translation. Celebrating the various forms of translation.
Native language, common language, community languages. Rethinking linguistic duality.
Rethinking translation pedagogy and teaching.
Types of presentations
We welcome many formats: round tables, theme panels of 3 or 4 people, individual presentations (20 minutes followed by a 10-minute question period), short presentations (10 minutes or less followed by a 5-minute question period), poster presentations, artistic performances.
Do you have an idea that doesn’t fit any of the above formats? Send us an email!
Submission guidelines
We are open to proposals in French, English or Spanish. Presentations in one of Canada’s Indigenous languages will be warmly welcomed (real time human interpretation will be provided).
To submit a proposal, please fill out the form below and email it (as a Word document) to props@act2027.com. The deadline is October 1, 2026 October 15, 2026.
The completed forms will be used by the organizers when preparing a Social Science and Humanities Research Council grant application to seek the funding needed to hold the ACT-CATS conference. Please note that only the quality of your proposal will be considered during the selection process. If your proposal is accepted by the scientific committee, the information provided in the form will be included in the grant application.
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