Participants

Discussion

Over the past few decades, there has been a rise in the number of Russian-speaking authors transitioning from writing in a language other than their mother tongue. Such a phenomenon has sparked numerous research interests in the fields of linguistics, literary criticism, science, and cultural studies. Scholars such as Adrian Wanner, Steven Kellman, and Julie Hansen attribute this phenomenon to the impact of globalisation, economics, and migration. While the scholarship is vital for understanding this phenomenon, it often overlooks the internal experiences of the authors themselves. 

This roundtable brings together scholars with expertise in the field of translingualism and English-Russian literature, and writers who either switched to writing in a language other than their mother tongue or live and create in the overlap of their first and second/third languages. During the self-reflexive, interdisciplinary roundtable discussion, authors and researchers will explore what role their “second” language has played in their creative work and lives and what impact it has had on their sense of self.

The discussion will be centred around the core questions essential to the experiences of translingual writers: What does it mean to live and create within the overlap of two or more linguistic worlds? Has the adoptive language become an integral part of the author’s (creative) identity, or is it simply a tool?  What does the act of narration in a language other than their mother tongue consist of (e.g., self-translation, code switching, shifts, finding alternative ways to express their thoughts)? Do writers live in constant fear of being recognised as a “foreigner” to their adoptive language, or do they make it their strength? What motivates a writer to “abandon” their mother tongue? What is the emotional, linguistic, and cultural cost of such a decision? 

Key words: translingual creative writing, narrative strategies in translingual writing, translingualism, language and identity