Workshop: Translation Choices in Multilingual Written Artefacts

Navigating Visual and Cultural Layers

Translation practices leave traces that are often as intricate as they are elusive. In many cases, the only surviving witnesses to these practices are the artefacts themselves – written objects marked by their visual organisation, material features, or paratextual additions. Sometimes, translators’ strategies are explicitly recorded in metatextual commentary or cultural traditions, such as the famous account of how the Septuagint was translated. However, these narratives do not always align with the preserved artefacts, prompting questions about whether they reflect authentic translation strategies, later interpretations, or idealised traditions. This workshop seeks to bridge this gap by bringing together the materiality of written artefacts and the cultural narratives surrounding translation practices. By exploring the interplay between visual and material features and the cultural frameworks of translation, we aim to uncover the choices translators make and how these choices manifest in the artefacts.