UNCW students at the Institut Franco-Américan
A group of 15 students and faculty from the Department of Creative Writing and the Department of World Languages and Cultures of UNCW were recently in Rennes as part of an innovative class in Literary Translation and Publishing in Context. Organized on the Rennes 2 side by Associate Professor of American literature Claudia Desblaches, the 10-day trip provided the students with several moments to to exchange with our academic community and other Rennes-based professionals, including:
- Pierre-Henry Frange, Professor and Director of the Rennes University Publishing House
- Gildas Le Voguer, Director of the English Department
- Francois Tremolieres, Professor of 17th century French literature
- Arnaud Le Gouëfflec, Novelist, poet and musician
- Laurence Texier, Architect in Rennes
- Rennes 2 Masters students of literature
The aim of the trip for the UNCW students was to learn more about the specificities of the translation of poetry and other texts, and while here they were invited to a number of important cultural and literary sites, such as: the Institut Franco-Américan (a binational cultural center in downtown Rennes), the Musée des Beaux Arts, Musée Les Champs Libres, Rennes Publishing House, La Maison de la Poésie and more. Before arriving, the students also participated in virtual collaboration translations with local Rennes students and organized in collaboration with the Rennes 2 Service Universitaire de Pedagogie.
The visit also allowed for the faculty from the two universities to hold in-person discussions on continuing and expanding the collaboration which began last year. Starting from next year, and following the signing of a framework agreement, it is hoped that UNCW students will come to study on a longer-term basis at Rennes 2, and the following year, Rennes 2 students will be able to visit and study at the U.S. institution.
