The Department of English at Sikkim University, in collaboration with Sahitya Akademi, New Delhi, is organising a three-day Translator’s Meet on the theme “Translating Folk Songs from Sikkim: Co-Creation, Critique and Collaboration” from August 26 to 28 in Gangtok.
The programme is being held at Cauvery Hall, 5th Mile, and brings together translators, scholars, writers and other practitioners to discuss the translation of Sikkim’s diverse folk song traditions and their role in preserving the region’s cultural heritage.
The three-day meet will focus on the processes, methods and challenges involved in translating folk songs. Particular attention will be given to co-creation, critical engagement and collaboration among people working across different linguistic and cultural traditions.
The discussions are expected to examine how translation can help document and preserve folk traditions while also introducing them to wider audiences. At the same time, participants will explore the challenges of retaining the cultural context, meaning and essence of songs that have largely been passed down through oral traditions.
Folk songs are an important part of Sikkim’s cultural heritage and serve as repositories of collective memory, indigenous knowledge and traditional forms of expression. The programme aims to encourage greater engagement with these traditions through translation and scholarly discussion.
The initiative also seeks to create meaningful dialogue between linguistic and cultural communities and strengthen collaboration among translators, writers and scholars.
