Placement at the British Centre for Literary Translation
By Neriojamil Palumbo, CHASE doctoral researcher at UEA
As I had projected in my initial submission, the CHASE Placement at the British Centre for Literary Translation (BCLT) has been an excellent opportunity to start broadening my personal and professional horizons beyond the specific boundaries of the research on which I have been working in the last years. Consistently with the overall trajectory of my doctoral project – focused in its last phases on the production and publication of high-quality research output – the Placement, started in January 2024, has offered me a valuable chance to add another substantial piece to the set of publications I am about to release. The bulk of my time and efforts has therefore been invested in the attempt to translate as much as I could of the book on which the Placement itself was based – Nietzsche and the Philology of the Future (2000 – Stanford University Press [SUP]) by James Porter (Author). I have now translated and revised a solid 75% of the book, and I intend to devote some of the funded period I have left after the end of the Placement (8th of July) to finish it.
This urgency is partly due to the fact that, thanks to the intercession of the Author, I am already liaising with the SUP representative for Italy (Dr Roberto Gilodi) in order to find a suitable Italian publisher for the translation. There are good chances that I will manage to place the manuscript before the end of the year, a result that goes well beyond my initial expectations, and that confirms the project’s remarkable Development Opportunities. In regard to the latter, and more specifically, my cognitive and creative abilities (RDF Fields A2/A3) have undeniably benefited from a period of focus on unknown and diverse activities – whilst my network, level of engagement, and professional confidence (Fields B3/D1/D2/D3) have grown to an unexpected extent. To mention one specific aspect, I have developed a professional relationship with the Author that became so good and dynamic as to facilitate the publication of an article of mine on the International Journal for Classical Antiquity. Furthermore, I am starting to discuss with him the opportunity to apply for a post-doc Research Fellowship at the University of Berkeley (where he is currently based) – an opportunity that would enhance my impact and network to an even greater extent, taking my research on the other side of the Atlantic for the first time!
As to the engagement with the activities of the BCLT, in the course of the Placement I have attended several translation seminars, and I had the opportunity to join the weekly translation workshop organised by my Placement Supervisor – Dr Cecilia Rossi. The possibility to interact with a group of professional and prospective translators on a weekly basis has provided me with invaluable tools and prompts for my work. Amongst others, a special mention needs to go to the fundamental workshops on the “Ethics of Translation” and on “How to do Glosses”, convened by Dr Cecilia Rossi, and to that on “Getting heard in the editing process” by Nariman Youssef. The Webinar on “Translating ‘Sensitive’ Texts and the Question of the Authenticity of Translations”, delivered by Prof Henri Bloemen, has been in some respects equally illuminating – while the interactive workshops on “Translating Crime” and “Theatre Translation” have offered me significant material to reflect on aspects of the translating process that, although not specifically related to my case, do have in any case some relevance in learning the tricks of the trade.
I am really grateful to CHASE for having granted me this opportunity, and I am glad to return to the final phases of my PhD research with major awareness, with valuable transferable skills, and with some guidance about my upcoming career steps.