Call for papers
Translating conflict and refuge: language, displacement, and the politics of representation
Date: Friday 24 April 2026
Place: The University of Cambridge / part hybrid
Submission deadline for abstracts: 5 December 2025
Papers are invited for this one-day conference to take place in Cambridge (UK) next April.
Linguistic barriers exacerbate the already formidable challenges of responding to humanitarian crises, particularly—but not exclusively—in conflict zones. In the past decade alone armed conflicts worldwide have inflicted untold suffering on large populations and often resulted in mass displacement. Addressing the needs of those affected by war and violence necessitates the involvement of large numbers of translators and interpreters, many of whom are frequently untrained volunteers. In addition to the immediate crisis response, people with, or seeking, refugee and/or asylum seeker status require sustained access to translation and interpreting support in host countries, both in order to access basic services and to enable their integration into local communities.
This event will bring together translators, interpreters, scholars, NGO representatives, and volunteers to develop a deeper understanding of the complex demands and realities involved in translating conflict and refuge. Our aim is to create a space for meaningful exchange as well as to generate concrete opportunities for collaboration.
Plenary speakers:
Lucio Bagnulo (Amnesty International)
Federico Federici (UCL)
Rasheed Abdul Hadi (Damascus University)
Aline Larroyed (Dublin City University)
Yongcan Liu and Zach Denton (University of Cambridge)
Alison Phipps (University of Glasgow)
Plenary talks in the morning will be offered in hybrid format; afternoon sessions will be in-person only and will take the form of standard papers (15-minute talk + 5-minute Q&A). We invite scholars, PhD students, practitioners, and those with direct experience of translation/interpreting in conflict areas or displacement to submit proposals for in-person afternoon sessions that address any of the following themes:
- Challenges and ethical dilemmas of translating in conflict zones
- The politics of language in conflict and displacement
- Translating testimonies of conflict and refuge
- AI and technology-enhanced translation in conflict zones
- Creative translation: refugee voices in art and literature
If you are interested in offering a paper, please send the following by Friday 5 December 2025:
- 300-word abstract (in a Word document, please)
- your name, contact email, and institution/professional area
All proposals should be sent to Ángeles Carreres (ac289@cam.ac.uk) and María Noriega-Sánchez (mn316@cam.ac.uk).
Accepted abstracts will be confirmed by 15 January 2026 and a draft programme will be available from 30 January.
Registration will open on 30 January 2026. Registration fees will cover in-person attendance to morning and afternoon sessions and refreshments:
Full in-person fee: £30 Concessionary in-person fee: £15 (Student/unwaged)
Registration fee for remote access to morning plenary sessions only: £10
Convenors: Tugba Basaran, Ángeles Carreres, María Noriega-Sánchez, Marissa Quie (University of Cambridge)
The Centre for the Study of Global Human Movement / Cambridge Refugee Hub
Faculty of Modern and Medieval Languages and Linguistics
This event is generously supported by the International Association for Translation and Intercultural Studies (IATIS) Regional Workshop Funding
