Episode 5 - Woven and Rewoven: Creative Criticism and the Medieval World (A Conversation with Ella O'Shea, Issi Marklew and Libby Histed)

Episode 6 - Hawaiian and the Challenge of Language Revitalisation: A Conversation with Dr. Keao NeSmith

What can the parallels between Pele, the deity of volcanoes and fire, and Alice from Alice's Adventures in Wonderland reveal about the task of translating from English to Hawaiian? Can exact equivalence between the source and target language ever actually be attained? And should equivalence even be an aim when translating?  This week, I'm joined by Dr. Keao NeSmith to unpick the complexities that come with translation and language revitalisation. Dr. NeSmith works as a translator, linguist and educator who has translated works of English literature into Hawaiian, including the Harry Potter series, The Hobbit and Alice in Wonderland. Alongside translating literature, he researches language revitalisation and advocates for native speakers' rights in Hawaii, often working as a translator for native Hawaiians who are unable to understand the widespread 'Neo-Hawaiian' spoken today. He coined the term 'Neo-Hawaiian' to distinguish between the form of Hawaiian emerging from classroom settings and native Hawaiian, an endangered language in need of revitalisation.  Our discussion is concerned with how genres translate between cultures and languages, and the influence that the target audience has on translation methods. Dr. NeSmith describes the iterative nature of translation, conceptualising his movement across the gap between Hawaiian and English as a kind of movement between 'moments of frailty'. We touch upon how academic theories of translation can help guide translation, discussing Lawrence Venuti's theory to unpick how far a translation should actually feel 'smooth' and equivalent to the source text. Dr. NeSmith speaks of the popularity of translated works, including The Arabian Nights, in 19th-century Hawaiian literature before turning to the question of how Hawaiian literary traditions have been influenced by these translations and adaptations.  We draw an unexpected connection between the endangered state of Torwali, a language spoken primarily in Pakistan, and Hawaiian, discussing how it is that Hawaiian and native Hawaiian, specifically, can be revived. Dr. NeSmith foregrounds issues in policy and curriculum, focusing on the lack of native speaker presence in government as a key problem. Drawing upon his experiences as a translator for native Hawaiian speakers in courtroom and hospital settings, he speaks about the cognitive divide between Neo-Hawaiian and native Hawaiian before seguing into matters of linguistic reinvention.  This episode invites rumination on what it truly means to translate from one language, one culture to another. We invite you to reflect on the ways social, governmental, and educational institutions may privilege some linguistic communities while marginalising others. For further information about Dr. Keao NeSmith, please visit these links: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/R._Keao_NeSmith [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/R._Keao_NeSmith]; https://independentresearcher.academia.edu/KeaoNeSmith [https://independentresearcher.academia.edu/KeaoNeSmith] If you enjoyed this episode and want to stick around for the next one, do hit follow and review the show! Music credits go to Isobel (Issi) Marklew.

Episode 5 - Woven and Rewoven: Creative Criticism and the Medieval World (A Conversation with Ella O'Shea, Issi Marklew and Libby Histed)

What does a napkin have to do with the modern-day reception of medieval literature? How is it that Rosalia's album 'Lux' invites new interpretative possibilities for the study of female mystics? And how does Shrek fit into all of this? In this episode, I am joined by Libby, Ella and Issi (the genius behind my intro and outro music) as we unpack the powerful ways that creative criticism can challenge and extend our understanding of medieval literature. We talk about how creative criticism destabilises our understanding of an 'original' or 'unified' text as the past is reconfigured when it comes into conversation with the present. We discuss the inherently iterative nature of medieval literature, as it weaves and reweaves itself, undoing itself and then reviving. Inspired by the work of Dr. Laura Varnum and Carolyn Dinshaw, we talk about the role of shared affect and bodily sensation in allowing us to effectively hold hands with the past. But we also ask what's at stake in our relationship with the medieval, as we remain wary of the danger that comes with romanticising the past. We see creative criticism as a way of departing from the right-wing, extremist use of medieval literature that tends to advance views of an ethnically 'pure' past. Through artistic adaptations, traditionally marginalised voices are brought into the limelight.  At its core, this episode is a light-hearted conversation between four deeply enthusiastic students of medieval literature who have been influenced by the medieval in seemingly unexpected ways. Grounded in our personal responses to medieval literature, our discussion gets to the heart of why it is that the medieval world matters in today's world.  Join us to discover how scarves, napkins, pocket shrines, musicals and even Shrek reconceptualise our relationship with the medieval past.  Note: I, unfortunately, was unable to find a way to upload an image of Ella's pocket shrine :( You can find images of it on her Instagram page where she uploads all of her fantastic creative critical responses: @modcearig.crafts.  If you enjoyed this episode and want to stick around for the next one, do hit follow and review the show! Music credits go to Isobel (Issi) Marklew.

Episode 4 - Beyond the Western Canon: A Conversation with Faisal Javid and Eliza Kaminska-Benadat

How is it that lines from Omar Khayyam's poetry wind up in the pockets of World War I soldiers? And how far can literary and historical theories help us explain this extraordinary moment of cross-cultural contact?  In this episode, I am joined by Faisal Javid (an Ertegun Scholar studying a Masters in Comparative Literature at the University of Oxford) and Eliza Kaminska-Benadat (a second-year History undergraduate at Oxford) to unravel the nuances of such questions. We consider the ways in which literary and historical frameworks can both invite new interpretations of narratives and risk simplifying stories to fit theoretical categories. Our various interests in comparative literature, medieval literature and Middle Eastern history brings an interdisciplinary approach towards studying non-Western narratives. We explore the value of comparative, global perspectives in historical and literary study as we pose the question of how far categories like 'postcolonial' actually work to decentre colonial pasts. As the very definition of literature constantly changes in today's digital age, even Bad Bunny's music offers an interesting insight into how we can reshape the boundaries created by such terminology.  A range of writers and historical figures are placed into dialogue as we discuss Tayeb Salih's response to Joseph Conrad, Zora Neale Hurston's rejection of DuBois' theory of double consciousness and Fadhma Amrouche's memoir. Our exploration segues into an examination of how literature is taught and framed in education systems more broadly. We ultimately turn to the problematic stigmatisation of studying the humanities in many educational and cultural settings, including South Asian contexts.  No prior knowledge of any of the topics we discuss is needed! All texts and theories are explained throughout our conversation in an accessible manner.  Content warning: Brief reference to self-harm in relation to the content of the book, 'Heart Lamp.'  If you enjoyed this episode and want to stick around for the next one, do hit follow and review the show!  Music credits go to Isobel (Issi) Marklew.

Episode 3 - Literature and Leadership: A Conversation with the Oxford Future Leaders Programme Team

This week's episode is inspired by my experience as a participant in the University of Oxford's Future Leaders Programme where I have taken part in various character-based training sessions and cultivated my leadership skills.  I am joined by the facilitators of the Programme: Angela Unsworth (the Director of Accommodation, Conferences and Catering at Jesus College), Neil Unsworth (Head of Resilience at Oxford), Anjali Sarkar (Senior Manager at the Oxford Character Project) and Edward Brookes (Associate Professor of Politics and International Relations). Together, we explore how literature and leadership intersect in many ways as one can often redefine, shape or even challenge the other.  Our conversation explores the way that literature, including children's literature, can embody the key virtues that constitute good leadership and that we aim to emulate as readers. This leads us to consider how literature can equally complicate the image of a 'good leader' by presenting psychological complexity in ways that textbooks or guides on leadership cannot do. Inspired by The Arts of Leading: Perspectives from the Humanities and the Liberal Arts, we conceptualise the roles of writers and readers as one of leaders and followers. Building upon the concept of toxic charismatic leadership, as described in the book, literature reveals the complex behaviour of followers, too, when readers find themselves supporting Machiavellian leaders. Our discussion segues into an exploration of storytelling as a tool for leadership, uncovering the narratives that leaders tell themselves and their followers in pursuit of a shared goal.  As stories continue to shape who we are and how we lead, this episode turns to literature in order to understand the very meaning of effective leadership.  If you enjoyed this episode and want to stick around for the next one, do hit follow and review the show!  Music credits go to Isobel (Issi) Marklew.

Episode 2 - Seeing the World Through a Child's Eyes: A Conversation with Emma Boor

Inspired by the TORCH event, 'Reading Choices in Young and SEND Children: A Conversation,' this episode explores how accessible forms of theatre, puppetry and performance can spark children’s interest in reading and storytelling.  I’m joined by Emma Boor, Creative Director of Wild Boor Ideas, to discuss the visceral responses that theatre often invites. We explore how interactive, sensory-based approaches can make theatre more accessible and enjoyable for SEND audiences. The immediacy of responses to children’s theatre opens performance up to something that lies beyond the written page as it refuses containment within scripts or rehearsed acts. We consider how this real-time unfolding of children’s theatre turns the stage into a kind of playground where the imagination runs free, as the mind transforms even the most mundane objects into entire worlds that spark wonder. The very act of storytelling becomes a gift, one that can be packaged and repackaged, opened and repurposed. We draw unexpected connections between Old English kennings and the sort of wordplay found in theatre and in children’s language, before turning to the problem of the impact of AI on literacy as we slowly edge towards a ‘postliterate’ age. At its heart, this episode is propelled forward by the spirit of play, brought to life by Emma’s infectious enthusiasm!     For more information about Emma Boor and Wild Boor Ideas, please visit this website: https://www.wildboor.com/.  If you enjoyed this episode and want to stick around for the next one, do hit follow and review the show!  Music credits go to Isobel (Issi) Marklew.