Translation in Theory and Practice (Dutch/English)

Prof. Liebregts

“In Leiden, we take a special interest in literature in an international context.”

“I am interested in the way human beings throughout history have used literature in all of its variety as a means to make sense of themselves and of the world. At the same time I am fascinated by how literary texts are part of an ever evolving tradition, which makes us aware of the similarities and differences between us and people from other cultures, past and present.

In my research, I am particularly interested in the appropriation of Greek and Roman culture, as well as the Christian tradition, by authors from the early modern period up to the present day. For me, this underlines the truth of the statement by the poet Ezra Pound that ‘Literature is news that stays news’. But here in Leiden, we do not only focus on the relation between past and present, but we also study literature in an international context, as English is indeed a language used all over the globe. Therefore we not only study literature from the ‘traditional’ canon of British and American literature, we also pay attention to texts in English from such different areas as the Caribbean, South Africa, and India. As such, a colleague of the Dutch Department and I regularly teach courses on South African literature in which we read texts written in English as well as in Afrikaans. Literature knows no boundaries in space and time, and here at the English Department in Leiden we try to do justice to that rich variety of English texts.”