Public Lecture and Translation Workshop with Roger Pulvers
Public Lecture: Translating Japan For the World: Lafcadio Hearn in the Twenty-First Century -- Commemorating the 175th Anniversary of his Birth –
Translation Workshop with acclaimed translator, Roger Pulvers. A short work of Japanese literature will be provided on the day, and participants will co-translate the work into English (other languages welcome!).
- Free event! Morning tea provided
- In-person only
- Registration required by Thursday 7 August
- Enquiries: a.uchiyama@uq.edu.au and l.fraser2@uq.edu.au
About the presenter
Roger Pulvers—acclaimed author, playwright, theatre and film director, translator and journalist—has published more than sixty-five books in Japanese and English. In 2017 the feature film of Star Sand, written and directed by him, had wide release throughout Japan. His two memoirs—My Japan: a cultural memoir and The Unmaking of an American—have been praised as forming a unique record of cultural life in Japan in the past fifty years.
Roger has worked extensively in film, television and theatre. He was assistant to director Oshima Nagisa on the film Merry Christmas, Mr. Lawrence, starring David Bowie, Tom Conti and Sakamoto Ryuichi. He has twice directed major productions at the Adelaide Festival of Arts; and his translation/adaptation of Nikolai Gogol’s The Government Inspector toured Australia in a Bell Shakespeare Co. production.
Roger received the prestigious Miyazawa Kenji Prize in 2008 and the Noma Award for the Translation of Japanese Literature in 2013; in 2018, Japan’s highest honour, the Order of the Rising Sun; and in 2019, the Order of Australia (AM). Over the past fifty years he has translated prose, drama and poetry from Japanese, Russian and Polish.
About Imaginative Literature for Children and Beyond: Australia, Japan, and the World
Join us for a two-day symposium exploring the connections between Australian, Japanese, and global children’s literature. The program includes an exhibition, public lectures, author talks, readings, and translation workshops.
Highlights include:
- An exhibition on bird imagery in Japanese and Australian children’s books
- Talks on fantasy, care, and storytelling across cultures
- Workshops where participants collaborate on translating literary works
- Opportunities to hear from authors, translators, and scholars.
Whether you’re a reader, writer, translator, or simply curious about children’s stories, this symposium offers a space for learning, discussion, and exchange.
Free event | In-person only | Registration required
This event is supported by The Campbell Bequest and proudly hosted by the UQ School of Languages and Cultures.
Symposium program
Thursday 14 August – Tuesday 30 September | |
|---|---|
Exhibition: Imagining Birds in Japanese and Australian Children's Literature Central Library Foyer, Duhig Tower, UQ St. Lucia Campus | |
Friday 15 August - General Purpose North 3 (39A), Room 209, UQ St. Lucia Campus | |
| 2 – 3pm | Public Lecture on Children’s Literature by Prof. Suzuki Hiroe |
| 3 – 3:30pm | Author Talk and Book Reading: The Festival of Ice and Snow by Angie Cui |
| 3:30 – 4pm | Afternoon tea (provided) |
| 4 – 5:30pm | Translation Workshop with Angie Cui: Co-translating The Festival of Ice and Snow into Japanese, Chinese, & other languages |
Saturday 16 August - Gordon Greenwood Building (32), Room 215, UQ St. Lucia Building | |
| 10 – 11am | |
| 11 – 11:30am | Morning tea (provided) |
| 11:30am – 1pm | Translation Workshop with Roger Pulvers (Japanese source text provided on the day) |
