We have particular strengths in translation theory, translation history, film and subtitling, translation technologies (especially machine translation), translation and translation-editing processes, game localization, experimental translation, transmediality and drama. Linguistically and geographically, our expertise ranges from Europe to the Americas and East Asia. Languages include Chinese, French, German, Italian, Portuguese, Russian and Spanish.

The translation section collaborates with other researchers across the School of Modern Languages and the wider University who have an interest in languages, communication and mediation. Our research methodologies span a wide range of disciplines. We have expertise in archival research, in literary analysis, and in quantitative and qualitative data analysis methods. Some of our research involves eye-tracking data, which we analyse with iMotions. We welcome enquiries from prospective PhD students in any of these areas. Enquiries should be accompanied by a 1,000-word proposal and CV.

Research areas

Our research interests include:

• audiovisual translation
• subtitling
• game localization
• machine translation and post-editing
• translation industry
• translation and cognition
• censorship in translation
• history of screen translation
• literary translation
• translation history
• translation and material culture
• translation policy
• transmediality

For PhD projects starting in 2022, we particularly welcome proposals on lay use of machine translation, and on any aspect of the history of the translation industry. See our call for PhD proposals for 2021-2022. Translation technologies is a fast-growing area of research and teaching in the School of Modern Languages. Find out more about our technology partnerships.

Projects

• PhD Project, The Michael Hamburger Archive: Mediating European Literature. AHRC Collaborative Doctoral Partnership with the British Library, 2020-2023. Bristol supervisors: Dr Rebecca Kosick and Dr Steffan Davies (German). British Library supervisors: Rachel Foss and Pardaad Chamsaz.
• Women subtitlers in the UK film industry, 1931-1949. British Academy funded, 2018-2020. PI: Dr Carol O’Sullivan
• Literary Translation Workshops: Evaluating Social Impact and Global Possibilities. Funded by ESRC Impact Acceleration Account, 2020. PI: Dr Ruth Bush.
• Living well by playing well: video game localisation and global distribution. Funded by the Brigstow Institute, 2019. PI: Dr Xiaochun Zhang
• Improving products and processes in translation technology use (IMPETUS). ESRC funded, 2019-2021. PI: Dr Lucas Nunes Vieira
• Machine translation and literary texts: A network of possibilities. AHRC funded through Creative Multilingualism Open World Research Initiative, 2019-2020. PI: Dr Lucas Nunes Vieira
• Student Translation Project, Voltaire Foundation (with University of Oxford)
• Creative Writing and Translation for Peace. AHRC funded, 2019-2020. (Co-I: Dr Ruth Bush, with Department of English). PI: Professor Madhu Krishnan
• Hollywood's Foreign-Language Units: The Film Translation Industry between Los Angeles and New York (1928-1945). British Academy Postdoctoral Fellowship, 2016-2019. PI: Dr Carla Mereu Keating
• Postilion: An interactive repository of translated language (Co-I: Dr Lucas Nunes Vieira, with Department of Computer Science). Funded by the Brigstow Institute, 2016. PI: Conor Houghton