Posted By: Anonymous, 17 October 2011
Despite the geographical distance, there have always been strong links between Norwich and the Asia-Pacific Writing Partnership. Australian writer
Jane Camens, the founder of APWP, did her Creative Writing MA here at UEA, and was inspired by the precursor of Writers’ Centre Norwich (New Writing Partnership) to set up a similar organisation in the Asia Pacific on her return in 2005. Since then, the Norwich links have remained strong, with various people from WCN and UEA attending APWP events. Jane herself returned to Norwich for Worlds this summer.
The APWP conference provides a regional meeting place for writers, translators, publishers, literary scholars, writers’ organisations and others interested in contemporary literature from Asia and the Pacific. Up until recently, the emphasis has been mostly on creative writing in English from the region, but Jane is keen to emphasise the role of translation, both as an act of creative writing in itself, and as a way of increasing the flow of writing from the Asia Pacific within the region and around the world.
Back in Norwich, BCLT and WCN are keen to bring to the UK more writers and writing from around the world, particularly from languages and literatures that are currently under-represented in English.
While I’m in Perth, I’ll be talking to partners to explore how we can encourage more translation from the languages of the Asia-Pacific into English, as currently so little of the rich literature from this region makes its way into the hands of UK (and other Anglophone) readers.
That’s the plan. I’ll let you know how I get on.
Kate Griffin
