Facing Pages: A Virtual Resource for Spanish and Spanish-American Poetry in
Translation.
Ben Bollig
Outcomes:
Virtual resource of “Facing Pages” translations of c20th and contemporary Spanish and
Spanish-American poetry, housed online, to be freely and easily available as reading
material, teaching and research resources to UoL staff and students, academics, students
and researchers in this and related fields, and for the general public, in particular those with a
personal or professional interest in poetry and/or translation.
Work should build on EKT, UGRS and BA SRG Facing Pages projects to identify:
1) Poets suitable for translation but not represented already by existing translations into
English;
2) A method for collaborative translation for the facing-pages format, with annotations
and other information (“thick translation” model).
Work should also potentially feed into a successful AHRC Early Career bid for the Facing
Pages virtual resource for Spanish poetry in English translation (nb, bid submitted in Jan
2011, decision due late this year).
Those involved in the project should develop or practice skills in translation, poetic analysis,
organisation, data handling, communication, events management, and public engagement.
Work to be done:
1) BB and relevant colleagues to recruit UG intern and PG assistant.
2) Compile list of works to be translated (this work to be carried out by UGRS in
Summer 2011?) e.g. 6-8 Spanish poets, 8-10 Span-Am poets; 2/3 poems each. Seek
permission to reproduce original works if in copyright.
3) Autumn 2011: Organise translation event for public lectures/workshops for PG and
UG students and interested members of the public with outside expert participants to
speak about and then advise on poetry translation practice – e.g 2 or 3 from Dr
Cecilia Rossi, Dr Tom Boll, Dr Gwen Mackeith, Neil Astley etc. Format: a.m. lectures
(recorded for podcasting); p.m. workshops: work on Spanish poetry? Students work
in groups with translators and MoS. (Pay expenses and a small fee (?) for speakers)
4) Develop virtual space for housing translations and audio material within Faculty
pages/BB’s home page (BB taking JADU/CMS training in Feb 2011).
5) Autumn 2011-Spring 2012: intern/assistant to organise another poetry translation
workshop – workshop format with UG and PG students and some UoL MoS. Then
finalise versions and post online – post different versions and annotate poems using
xml software.
6) Summer 2012: BB to develop podcasts on poetry translation and project so far.
Intern/assistant to upload this and other material.
7) Interns/assistants to source readings of poems and translations for podcasting via
these pages.
8) Autumn 2012: 2 translation workshops on Spanish-American poetry to create new
material.
9) Checking and uploading material.
10) Spring/Summer 2013: launch event: invited speakers, readings, talk about the
resource.
UG intern role:
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Work on developing lists of material to be translated.
Promote events to UG students.
Assist in coordinating workshops.
Collect material.
Source av material.
PG assistant role.
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Work on developing lists of material to be translated.
Promote events to PG students, staff, general public.
Coordinate workshops.
Collect material.
Send permission requests.
Administrate podcasts and source audio material.
Check material for loading to web; load material to web.
The benefit / link to a strategic priority in L&T of the University
The project will deliver an exceptional student experience centred on inspirational learning
and teaching, in particular research-led teaching, and will raise the profile of teaching and
learning at Leeds and enhance the available curriculum.
Furthermore, students working on the project will improve their employability and career
options through having their participation in such an innovative project on their CV, while also
developing skills in communications, team-working, and self-management through their work
on the project.
Evaluation
The project team will liaise with the SMLC Impact director to use latest feedback sheets and
other materials to gauge effectiveness of events. A steering group is already in place for the
Facing Pages project as part of the BA-SRG funded part of the project and in preparation for
possible success in the recently submitted AHRC bid; these individuals will be consulted to
the progress/success of the project at yearly intervals and in preparation of the final report.
Subsequently we can measure visits to the webpages and use a feedback form online to
gauge audience perceptions.
What contributions will you make to Department / School / Faculty and University
development of learning and teaching
The project will improve quality of teaching and student support by creating new materials for
existing modules, providing value-added to modules on the curriculum, both those I
coordinate and those coordinated by colleagues working on this programme and on others
(CTS, Linguistics, Computing, for example). The project will involve UG and PG students in
the development of learning and teaching materials and as contributors to a major research
project.