Modern Greek studies conference
An international conference on modern Greek studies is an unusual new undertaking for the City of Athens. It is the first in a planned series under the title «Greece in the World.» «The aim of the conference,» Athens Mayor Nikitas Kaklamanis told the press Monday, «is to coordinate the activities of agencies in Greece and abroad so as to ensure the dissemination of the Greek language and Greek culture, especially through modern Greek studies centers around the world.» Kaklamanis organized the project, together with the municipality’s Cultural Organization and the Athens Concert Hall, where the conference will be held, July 3-5. The speakers are specialists from Greece and abroad who work in a wide range of disciplines, from linguistics and history, to sociology, Byzantine and classical studies. Among the subjects they will address are modern Greek studies in relation to interdisciplinary and other approaches, research, the diaspora, new language-teaching methods, translation and translation studies, the Internet and career prospects. The National Book Center of Greece (EKEBI) will participate, presenting an exhibition, «Greek Literature in 40 Languages,» comprising 1,350 Greek works in translation. Since 2004, EKEBI has been documenting Greek literature in translation, and now has a database of 10,000 entries, which it will offer to conference participants on a CD. EKEBI director Catherine Velissaris and Professor Jacques Bouchard will moderate a session on books, translation and translation studies at 5 p.m. on Friday, with leading translators Vicente Fernandez Gonzalez (Malaga University), Niki Eideneier-Anastasiadi (Cologne University), Karen Van Dyck (Columbia University) and Romanian publisher Elena Lazar. Registration starts at 8 a.m. today before the official opening at 9 a.m. Stathis Gourgouris of Columbia University, USA, Konstantinos Dimadis of Berlin University and Vrasidas Karalis of Sydney University will make the introductory presentation at 11 a.m. The conference has the cooperation and support of the ministries of Education, Culture, Foreign Affairs and Tourism.
