13 December 2023

Racism and the Earliest English Translations of Japanese Poetry

Key information

Date: 13 December 2023
Time: 5:00 pm to 7:00 pm
Venue: Russell Square: College Buildings
Room: Khalili Lecture Theatre (KLT)
Event type: Event highlights

About this event

This event has been cancelled due to unforeseen circumstances.

An examination of the earliest English translations of Japanese poetry and the influence of imperialist racism on them.

We are not often reminded that the earliest explorations and translations of Japanese literature in English were conducted in the context of mid-Victorian imperialist racism This talk will examine the influence of such racism on the earliest translations of Japan’s premier poetic anthology, the One Hundred Poets, One Poem Each (Hyakunin isshu), from 1865 to 1909.

About the speaker

Joshua Mostow is a Professor in the Department of Asian Studies at the University of British Columbia, Vancouver, Canada. Much of his research focusses on classical Japanese poetry, including its reception, appropriation, and translation in Japanese and non-Japanese contexts.

Organiser: SOAS Japan Research Centre
Contact email: centres@soas.ac.uk

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