Call for Papers

Conference on Translation Networks in the Decolonising World, 1950s–1970s, at King’s College at the University of Cambridge in April 2026

The 1950s to the 1970s was a transformative period marked by anticolonial struggles, national independences, and non-aligned solidarities across Africa, Asia, and Latin America. These groundbreaking political shifts went hand-in-hand with profound cultural and ideological exchanges across continents. Central to these exchanges were translation networks—dynamic, often informal systems through which ideas filtered across linguistic and national boundaries. These networks not only facilitated the dissemination of anticolonial and more broadly revolutionary thought, but also helped forge new identities and solidarities in a bipolarised world. From clandestine literature, revolutionary manifestos, political speeches, to broadcasting and print journalism, translation operated as an essential tool for decolonisation. Yet, despite their significance, these translation networks remain underexplored. This conference seeks to shed light on the multifaceted role of translation in the decolonising world between the 1950s and 1970s. It seeks to examine how translation—whether cultural or linguistic, diplomatic or political—served as a bridge for ideas, theories, and strategies that fueled anticolonial struggles, fostered regional solidarities, and contributed to the dissemination of counterhegemonic discourses. This conference seeks to redress narratives that often overlook translation’s role in shaping political and cultural transformation by foregrounding the networks of translation that enabled dialogue between communities, intellectuals, and revolutionary movements. It aims to explore how translation practices facilitated the circulation of anti-colonial ideas, shaped notions of identity and sovereignty, and influenced the formation of new political and cultural realities in the decolonising world.

We invite proposals for papers of relevance to the subject of the conference, which might include considerations of:

• The role of translation in the dissemination of anticolonial thought;
• The translation of revolutionary texts (e.g., manifestos, poetry, political speeches, print journalism) as well as oral traditions and indigenous knowledge that supported anticolonial narratives;
• The role of translation as a tool for transnational and transcontinental solidarity;
• The role of transnational and transcontinental alliances (e.g., the Non-Aligned Movement) in facilitating ideological exchanges and collaborations;
• The role of translation in national, transnational, and transcontinental conferences, festivals, and organisations;
• The translation and/or adaptation, reinterpretation, and dissemination of Afro-Asianism, Marxism, nationalism, Pan-Africanism, and/or Pan-Arabism;
• The influence of radio, print, and emerging broadcasting or recording technologies in spreading anticolonial ideas in translation;
• The role and agency of individual translators in establishing transnational and transcontinental connections;
• Comparative perspectives on the intersection of translation and decolonisation in Africa, Asia, and Latin America.

The conference will be in-person at King’s College, University of Cambridge.

To submit a proposal, please include in one document the following information: proposals for 20-minute papers (300 words), paper title, and participant(s) biography (100 words).

Please submit proposals by e-mail to Georgia Nasseh (gsn25 [at] cam.ac.uk).

The deadline for submissions is 15 October 2025.