Transnational Feminisms, Literature and Translation: Contemporary Turkish Women Writers in English Translation

ŞULE AKDOĞAN, PhD.

Department of English and Comparative Literary Studies, University of Warwick

10 November 2020, Tuesday, 20.00

Transnational feminist theories underline the diverse, intersectional and multiple workings of local and global issues in women’s lives and highlight the importance of comparative and contextual frames in exploring multiple forms of oppression and resistance. In this seminar, I discuss that approaching literature and translation through a transnational feminist lens can facilitate strong sites of feminist praxis and activism that could build bridges across cultures. I concentrate on several contemporary Turkish women writers in English translation to draw attention to Eurocentric perspectives noted in the circulation, perception and reception of their works. Emphasizing the multi-layered contexts and themes of their texts, I also argue that transnational feminist engagement with literature and translation help creating scholarly and pedagogical activities that would not only decolonize academia and publishing industry but also create nuanced networks of cross-cultural communication.