Who controls the flow of culture around the world? Who chooses what gets translated from one language to another – and why? In an article for Free Word, Jonathan Heawood, Director of English PEN, introduces China Inside Out, a day of cultural exchange which offers alternative Who controls the flow of culture around the world? Who chooses what gets translated from one language to another – and why? Jonathan Heawood of English PEN introduces China Inside Out, a day of cultural exchange which offers alternative perspectives on China and Chinese writing.
We all love cultural exchange, don’t we? Writers and artists swapping their wares across the world like punters at a global bring-and-buy sale. I’ll take your Russian novel for this piece of South African jazz; a Tibetan rug for an Appalachian fiddle. There’s a Micronesian myth going for a Senegalese song. Over the last thirty years, this form of exchange has become one of the more creative aspects of globalisation, leading to new experiences, new encounters and new works of art…
Read more of this article on the Free Word Centre website.