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Projects:

In recent years, I have applied the notion of poetic thinking to translation theory. I am currently working on a monograph on Why Translation Transforms the World – A Poetic Thinking of Translation.

This project has already resulted in several articles:

Forthcoming: ‘Die humboldtschen Grundlagen von Meschonnics Rhythmustheorie und die Folgen für eine dialogische Übersetzungstheorie’, in Henri Meschonnics Rhythmuskonzept in Übersetzung und Übersetzungsforschung, hrsg. Von N. Mälzer/ M. Agnetta, Olms, Hildesheim, 2021

‘Literary Translation and Transmediality. Clive Scott’s Reader-Oriented Translation Theory and Practice’, in Journal of Critical Studies in Language and Literature, March 2021

‘Buber/Rosenzweig’s and Meschonnic’s Bible translations: Biblical Hebrew as transformer of language theory and society’, in Languages – Cultures – Worldviews. Focus on Translation, ed. Adam Glaz, Palgrave Macmillan, 2019

‘Pour une pensée poétique de la traduction, avec Henri Meschonnic et Wilhelm von Humboldt’ in Skené. Rivista di letteratura francese e italiana contemporanee, 2016/6, 57-64

‘Translation and Poetic Thinking’ in German Life and Letters, 67/1, 2014, 6-21

‘Traduire le poème, avec Henri Meschonnic’, in Henri Meschonnic, théoricien de la traduction, eds. Marcella Leopizzi/ Celeste Boccuzzi, Éditions Hermann, Paris, 2014, 191-204

‘Traduire: pensée du langage, culture et innovation’, in Paroles rencontres. Ouvrir les archives ‘Henri Meschonnic’, ed. Serge Martin, L’Atelier du Grand Tétras, collection ‘Résonance générale – Essais pour la poétique’, Mont-de-Laval, 2013, 134-151

and papers:

‘Is Translation Always Transmedial? Clive Scott’s Reader-Oriented Translation Theory and Practice’. Paper at the conference Transmedial Turn? Potentials, Problems, and Points to Consider, Tartu University, 8-11.12.2020
‘Buber/Rosenzweig’s and Meschonnic’s Bible Translations – Biblical Hebrew as Transformer of Language Theory and Society’. Invited paper at the Université de Montréal, Conférence du MIDI, Dépt. de Lingustique et de Traduction, Université de Montréal, 4.10.2018
‘Buber/Rosenzweig’s and Meschonnic’s Bible Translations – Biblical Hebrew as Transformer of Language Theory and Society’. Invited paper in the German Studies Dept., Brown University, Providence, RI, 1.10.2018.

‘Poetics’ Transformative Power. Bible Translation and Society’, paper at the Research Seminar of the College of Foreign Languages and Cultures at the University of Tartu, 26 Mar 2018

‘Shifting Worldviews with the Bible Translations of Buber/Rosenzweig and Meschonnic’, at the international conference Languages – Cultures – Worldviews. Translational and Comparative Perspectives, Lublin, 16-18 Nov 2017

‘A Dialogical Philosophy of Translation’, at the GSA conference, Atlanta, 6-8 Oct 2017

‘À nous deux – esquisse d’une philosophie dialogique de la traduction’, invited paper at the workshop of the research group ‘Critique de la traduction’, INALCO Paris, 14 Oct 2016

‘Pour une critique poétique de la traduction’, invited paper at the workshop of the research group ‘Critique de la traduction’, INALCO Paris, 6 Nov 2015

‘Translating the Poem – Henri Meschonnic’s Poetics of Translating’, invited paper, Translation in History group, University College London, 23 Oct 2014

‘Translation and Poetic Thinking’, paper at the AGS (Association for German Studies in Great Britain and Ireland), Cardiff 3-5 April 2013

‘Traduire: culture, pensée du langage et la part de l’innovation’, invited paper at the international conference Paroles rencontres. Ouvrir les archives. Henri Meschonnic at the IMEC, Caen, 29 March 2012

I also applied the concept of Poetic Thinking to transnational literature and multilingualism. I received the ‘Seal of Excellence’ by the EU, Horizon 2020, in 2018 for a grant application on a planned monograph on Speaking in Tongues. Multilingualism, Literature and Planetarity.

For this project, I gave several papers:

Welt und Literatur. Zum Realismusbegriff des poetischen Denkens’, workshop at the Centre Marc Bloch/Zentrum für Literatur- und Kulturforschung: Berlin 8.6.2018

‘Sprachabenteuer – Yoko Tawadas exophone Erkundungen des Deutschen’, Medienpraktiken und Transnationalisierung in Europa (18. Bis 21. Jahrhundert), Bordeaux, 4-6 June, 2019

‘Adventures in Language: Yoko Tawada’s Exophonic Explorations of German’, Across Languages: Translingualism in Contemporary Women’s Writing, School of Advanced Studies, London, 30-31 May 2019

‘Adventures in Language: Yoko Tawada’s Exophonic Explorations of German’, Dorpater Dozentenabend, Tartu, 22 May 2019

The following publication resulted from the latter papers:

‘Adventures in language. Yoko Tawada’s exophonic explorations of German’, in Oxford German Studies, 48/4, 2019, 494-504

I also organized the following conference, 14-15 November 2019: 'Mehrsprachigkeit und das Politische in zeitgenössischer deutschsprachiger und baltischer Kultur', which resulted in the following publications:

Forthcoming: Exophony: Multilingual Literature and Politics in Baltic and German-Language Literature, Special Issue of Interlitteraria, spring 2021, MP guest-editor, introduction and chapter (~200 pp.)
Mehrsprachigkeit und das Politische. Interferenzen in zeitgenössischer deutschsprachiger und baltischer Literatur, ed. by MP, series ‘Literarische Mehrsprachigkeit/ Literary Multilingualism’, Narr/ Francke/ Attempto, Tübingen, 2020, editor, chapter and introduction (320 pp.)

Activities:

I am currently working on a volume on Paul Celan’s poetics, in collaboration with Prof Dr Karen Leeder (Oxford) and Prof Dr Michael Eskin (NY), to be published as Celan at 100 – A Companion with de Gruyter at the start of 2020, comprising over 20 contributions by leading international Celan-scholars and artists.

I received a British Academy research grant in 2017 for a project on the thinking language of Henri Meschonnic, financing a symposium at Queen Mary University of London on 22 September 2017 and two workshops (23 Sept 2017 / 24 Febr 2018) in view of the translation of key texts by Meschonnic for a Meschonnic Reader in English language. Six translators – Pier-Pascale Boulanger, Andrew Eastman, John Joseph, David Nowell Smith, Marko Pajević and Chantal Wright – translated over representative 300 pages of Meschonnic’s works in a cautiously designed collaboration, ensuring quality, consistency and correct terminology.

This resulted in a special issue of Comparative Critical Studies, Oct 2018, ed. by Marko Pajević and David Nowell Smith: Thinking Language with Henri Meschonnic;

and in The Meschonnic Reader: A Poetics of Society, ed. by Marko Pajević, Edinburgh University Press, 2019.

Click to see the programme and videos of the symposium held on 22 September 2017

Thinking Language with Henri Meschonnic

Queen Mary University of London; Lockkeeper’s Cottage

22 September 2017

Organised by Marko Pajević
Funded by the British Academy / Leverhulme

		Watch on Youtube
Marko Pajević (QMUL/Centre Marc Bloch, Humboldt Universität Berlin): Welcome and Introduction		The introduction and talk by D. Nowell Smith
David Nowell Smith (UEA): The Dynamic Unfolding/Enfolding of Sense Serge Martin (Paris III – Sorbonne): Towards an Anthropology of the Voice with Henri Meschonnic Respondent: Robert Gillett (QMUL)		The introduction and talk by D. Nowell Smith
		The talk by S. Martin, Q&A with D. Nowell Smith and S. Martin
Marko Pajević (QMUL/ Berlin): For a poetics of society: thinking language with Henri Meschonnic Respondent: Rüdiger Görner (QMUL)		The talk by M. Pajević Q&A
John E. Joseph (Edinburgh): Language-Body Continuity in the Linguistics-Semiology-Poetics-Traductology of Henri Meschonnic Clive Scott (UEA): Translating Rhythm into the Rhythm of Translation Respondent: Rafael Costa Mendes (Paris III – Sorbonne)		Talk by J. E. Joseph Talk by C. Scott Q&A
23 September 2017: translation workshop at QMUL for participants only

Other papers on Meshconnic are:

‚Die humboldtschen Grundlagen von Henri Meschonnics Rhythmustheorie und die Folgen für eine dialogische Übersetzungsphilosophie‘, Henri Meschonnics Rhythmuskonzept in Übersetzung und Übersetzungsforschung, Hildesheim, 2-5 October 2019

‘La Théorie du rythme d’Henri Meschonnic et le social – vers une pensée poétique’, Henri Meschonnic et la modernité: quel héritage intellectuel? Humanities State University, Moscow, 26-27 September 2019

‘Rhythm, the Political and the Human: Poetic Thinking and the Construction of Reality’, Key note at Rhythms, Madison, University of Wisconsin, 12-15 September 2019

in Berlin: ‘Warum Sprachtheorie Gesellschaftstheorie ist. Zu Henri Meschonnics Poetik des Rhythmus’, invited paper, Spree-Athen, e.V., Literaturhaus Berlin, 14 Dec 2017

in Montréal: ‘A Poetics of Society: Thinking Language with Henri Meschonnic’, invited paper at the Université de Montréal, Seminar of Prof John Leavitt, Anthropology, 5.10.2018

Other papers to promote the concept of poetic thinking include:

Forthcoming ‘Für weltbildende Philologien’, Zwischen Kontinuität und Wandel. Die Germanistik in Nordeuropa und im Baltikum Germanistische Begegnungstagung des DAAD, Riga, 5-8 December 2019

‘For a Reappreciation of the Literary in Literary Studies: Poetic Thinking’ Current State of Literary Theory, Research and Criticism in (Non-"Centric") National Cultures, University of Tartu 30 Sept-1 October 2019

I received a British Academy research grant in 2016 for a project on the importance of Wilhelm von Humboldt’s thinking language today, financing a symposium at Queen Mary University of London on 29 April 2016 and resulting in a special issue of Forum for Modern Language Studies:

Thinking Language. Wilhelm von Humboldt Now, editor together with David Nowell Smith, Special Issue of Forum for Modern Language Studies, Oxford UP, 53/1, Jan 2017

This volume offers studies on one of the crucial language thinkers at the basis of poetic thinking. Humboldt, albeit one of the most important language thinkers of all times and very influential particularly in Germany and France, has been little studied in Anglophone academia and this volume intends to trigger a more intensive reception of his work.

Click to see the programme and videos of the symposium held on 29 April 2016

Thinking Language: Wilhelm von Humboldt now

A Symposium at Queen Mary, University of London
Funded by British Academy/Leverhulme

29 April 2016

		Watch on Youtube
Marko Pajević (London): Welcome and Introduction Chair and respondent: David Nowell Smith (East Anglia) John E. Joseph (Edinburgh): Wilhelm von Humboldt’s Reception in the Anglosphere, 1820-present		Introduction, talk by J. E. Joseph
Chair and respondent: James W. Underhill (Rouen) Jürgen Trabant (Berlin): Vanishing Worldviews Ute Tintemann (Berlin): Collecting Language Date: from Humboldt to the Language Archive		Talk by J. Trabant Talk by U. Tintemann
Chair and respondent: Marko Pajević (London) James W. Underhill (Rouen): Humboldt in Translation Theory. Pearls of wisdom, or splashes in the ocean? Barbara Cassin (Paris): Humboldt, Translation, and the Dictionary of Untranslatables		Talk by J. W. Underhill Talk by B. Cassin
Chair and respondent: Jürgen Trabant (Berlin) John Walker (London): Wilhelm von Humboldt and Dialogical Thinking Marko Pajević (London): Humboldt’s ‘thinking language’: Poetics and Politics		Talk by J. Walker Talk by M. Pajević

I also used a more popular form to disseminate some of the basic ideas in

‘Poetic Thinking. How to conceptualise the flow of life ’, TEDxRoyalholloway talk, 18 Oct 2014

And gave several papers on the concept:

‘Poetisches Denken in der Wissenschaft’, invited paper in the research seminar ‘Plurale Perspektiven auf Traditionen und Geschichte von Pädagogik bzw. Erziehungswissenschaft’, FH Bielefeld, 10 Nov 2015

‘Poetisches Denken – Der Mensch im Wechselverhältnis von Sprach- und Lebensform’, invited paper, Spree-Athen, e.V., Literaturhaus Berlin, 10 Oct 2014

‘Poetological Anthropology as Potentialist Anthropology’, invited paper at the workshop Universalism revisited. Poetological, Philosophical and Historical Encounters at the School of Advanced Studies, organised by Markus Messling, University of London, 14 Mar 2014

‘Poetisches Denken’, invited paper for the Research Group Bildakt und Verkörperung at the Humboldt-University Berlin, 16 Dec 2013

This overarching project found its first concrete substantial manifestion in my habilitation (qualification for professorship) on Poetic Thinking and the Human. Foundations of a poetological Anthropology at the University of Rouen in 2012; published as

Poetisches Denken und die Frage nach dem Menschen. Grundzüge einer poetologischen Anthropologie, Karl Alber Verlag, Reihe Dia-Logik, Freiburg i.Br., 2012 (358 pp.).

In this book I develop a theory of poetic thinking based primarily on philosophico-historical anthropology, the linguistic anthropologies of Jürgen Trabant and Henri Meschonnic as well as the dialogical thought of Martin Buber, and I apply this approach to contemporary literature and film.

A presentation of this book is available here.

I presented some of the ideas in several papers:

‘Sprachdenken: Theory of language (Humboldt / Trabant) and its anthropological consequences’, paper at the AGS-conference in London, 3 April 2011

‘Das poetische Prinzip der Metamorphose bei Paul Celan’, paper at the Universität Leipzig, 18 May 2011

‘Metamorphosis as a poetical principle, at the example of a poem by Paul Celan’, invited paper, University of Cyprus, 10 Nov 2010

‘Jenseits des Zeichens. Henri Meschonnics Poetik des Zusammenhangs’, paper, Universität Leipzig, 12 Jan 2010

‘Beyond the Sign. Henri Meschonnic’s Poetics of Rhythm and Continuum. Towards an Anthropological Theory of Language’, invited paper, University College Cork, 3 Dec 2009

'Beyond the Sign. Henri Meschonnic’s Poetics of Rhythm and Continuum. Towards an Anthropological Theory of Language’, invited paper, University of Warwick, 24 Nov 2009

My PhD-thesis on the poetics of Paul Celan initiated the project by establishing the connection of Celan’s poetics and the query about the human, demonstrating that this particular dealing with language represents a reflection on what it means to be human, not only thematically but also in its elaborated poetic forms; published as

Zur Poetik Paul Celans: Gedicht und Mensch – Die Arbeit am Sinn, Beiträge zur neueren Literaturgeschichte, Band 177, Universitätsverlag C. Winter, Heidelberg, 2000 (310 pp.)

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