Arianna Dagnino
Subject Area
About
Arianna Dagnino holds an M.A. in Modern Languages and Literatures from l’Università degli Studi di Genova and a Ph.D. in Comparative Literature from the University of South Australia. She is a literary translator and creative writer. She authored the book Transcultural Writers and Novels in the Age of Global Mobility (Purdue University Press, 2015) and the transcultural novel The Afrikaner (Guernica Editions, 2019; in audiobook in 2021), set in newly post-apartheid South Africa. She has also published several books on the socio-cultural impact of globalization, increased mobility, and digital technologies. Among them, I nuovi nomadi (New Nomads; Castelvecchi, 1996), Uoma (WoMan/Machine, Mursia 2000) and the pamphlet on the birth of the Internet Jesus Christ Cyberstar (Ipoc Press, 2009).
She currently teaches courses in Italian Studies (Italian literature and culture), Translation Studies, and Adaptation Studies.
Between 2017 and 2019 she was the recipient of a SSHRC postdoctoral fellowship (2017-2019) to conduct research on self-translation and transcultural practices at the University of Ottawa (School of Translation and Interpretation).
Her scholarly articles have appeared in journals such as Transcultural Studies (Heidelberg University), Transnational Literature, Humanities, Rhizomes, Transcultural Studies: A Journal in Interdisciplinary Research, mTm – A Translation Journal, CLCWEB: Comparative Literature and Culture, and TTR: Traduction, Terminologie et Redaction.
Before re-entering academia, Dagnino was a professional journalist and international reporter for the Italian press across five continents. She has published more than 500 articles in major Italian national daily newspapers, weekly magazines, and monthly magazines on issues ranging from culture, innovation, and new technologies to lifestyle, architecture, design, travel, fiction, and creative nonfiction.
Dagnino’s research relates to the fields of Transcultural Studies, Comparative Literature, Translation Studies, and Film Adaptation. Her main research interests focus on the effects of globalization, mobility, and complex cultural flows on cultural identities, creativity, and intercultural relations. Most of all, she is interested in how processes of transculturation shape creative artefacts and cultural practices.
In January 2020, together with her colleague at UBC Dr. Ernest Mathijs, Head of the Centre for Cinema and Film Studies, she completed a screenplay based on her novel The Afrikaner.
She is currently conducting research for her new book project, “The Genoese Bride” – a transcultural novel set between Vancouver and the harbour city of Genoa, in a timeframe that spans from the 1920s to now.
Arianna Dagnino is a Board Member of the Dante Alighieri Society of BC (http://www.dantesocietybc.ca), a Certified STIBC Translator (French/Italian), an Accredited NAATI Translator (English>Italian), a Member of the Writers’ Union of Canada, a Member of the Literary Translators’ Association of Canada, and a Member of the Professional Order of Journalists in Italy.
Teaching
Research
Interests
- 20th and 21st century Italian literature and romance literatures
- Transcultural Studies
- Comparative Literature
- Translation Studies
- Creative Writing
- Film Adaptation
Current Projects
Self-translation of prose fiction in a transcultural perspective (from romance languages to English and vice-versa).
Elements of transculturality in contemporary literary works of fiction.
Filmic adaptation of literary works of fiction.
Publications
Books – single authored
The Afrikaner. A Novel, Toronto: Guernica Editions, 2019. In audiobook in 2021.
Transcultural Writers and Novels in the Age of Global Mobility. West Lafayette, IN: Purdue University Press, 2015.
Fossili. Roma: Fazi Editore, 2010
Jesus Christ Cyberstar. Heaven Can Wait No Longer. A Pamphlet. Vimodrone, Milano: Ipoc Press, 2009
Uoma. La fine dei sessi. Milano: Mursia, 2000
I nuovi nomadi. Pionieri della mutazione, culture evolutive, nuove professioni. Roma: Castelvecchi, 1996.
Books – co-authored
Gulmanelli Stefano and Arianna Dagnino. Popwar: Il netattivismo contro l’ordine costituito (Net Activism against the Established Order). Milano: Apogeo/Feltrinelli, 2003.
Book Chapters – peer-reviewed
“Self-translation in Transcultural Mode: Francesca Duranti on How to Put ‘a Scent of Basil’ into one’s Translations.” In Narratives Crossing Borders: Transcultural Perspectives. Eds. Herbert Jonsson et al. Bern: Peter Lang Publishing Group. Forthcoming.
‘Transpatriation Processes and Early Twenty-First Century Transcultural Novels in the Global Age.’ In Border Crossings. Mile End, South Australia: Wakefield Press, 2016, pp. 204-217.
“Nomadi transculturali, caravanserragli urbani e spazi pubblici di quartiere.” In Interni Inclusivi. Dialoghi Trasversali. Santarcangelo di Romagna (RN): Politecnica/Maggioli Editore, 2016, pp. 12-28.
Articles – peer-reviewed
“Translingual Practices and Alternatives: Literary Studies in the Age of Global Mobility”, Canadian Review of Comparative Literature. 46.2 (June): 2019, pp. 380-392.
“Dialogic Assisted Self-Translation in the Translab. A Case Study in the Italian-English Language Combination.” mTm – A Translation Journal. Special Issue: TransCollaborate: Collaborative Translation, a Model for Inclusion, 10 (Winter 2018/2019): 81-101.
“Dialogic Assisted Self-Translation in the Translab. A Case Study in the Italian-English Language Combination.” mTm. A Translation Journal. Special Issue: TransCollaborate: Collaborative Translation, a Model for Inclusion.10: 1-19. Forthcoming.
“Urban Caravanserais, Translational Practices and Transcultural Commons in the Age of Global Mobility.” Skepsi, 8 (2018): 1-18. In press.
“Urban Caravanserais, Translational Practices and Transcultural Commons in the Age of Global Mobility.” Skepsi, 9 (Winter 2018/2019): 1-18.
“Re-discovering Alessandro Spina’s Transculture/ality in The Young Maronite.” Special Issue: “Transcultural Literary Studies: Politics, Theory, and Literary Analysis.” Humanities, 5.42 (2016): 1-11
“Contemporary Transcultural Auto/biography and Creative Nonfiction Writing on the Neonomadic Frontier.” Transcultural Studies: A Series in Interdisciplinary Research (Brill). 11 (2015): 93-107.
“Transcultural Literature and Contemporary World Literature(s).” World Literatures from the Nineteenth to the Twenty-first Century.
Ed. Marko Juvan. Special Issue CLCWeb: Comparative Literature and Culture 15.5 (2013): <http://dx.doi.org/10.7771/1481-4374.2339>.
‘Global Mobility, Transcultural Literature, and Multiple Modes of Modernity.’ Transcultural Studies, 2 (2013): 130-160, http://journals.ub.uni-heidelberg.de/index.php/transcultural/article/view/9940
‘Transcultural Writers, World Literature and Multicultural Australia in the Global Age.’ Transpostcross. Thematic Issue, ‘World Literature, Translation and New Media,’ 3.1 (2013): 1-14, http://www.transpostcross.it/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=96:transcultural- writers&catid=8:interventi&Itemid=11
‘Transculturalism and Transcultural Literature in the 21st Century.’ Position Paper. Transcultural Studies. A Series in Interdisciplinary;Research. Special Issue, ‘Transcultural Perspectives on Literature, Music, Cinema and Culturology,’ 8 (2012): 1-14,
‘Comparative Literary Studies in the Twenty-First Century: Towards a Transcultural Perspective?’ CSAA 2011 Conference Proceedings. ‘Cultural ReOrientations and Comparative Colonialities,’ 22-24 November, 2011, Adelaide, South Australia, 2012, 1-16,
http://www.unisa.edu.au/Documents/EASS/MnM/csaa-proceedings/Dagnino.pdf
‘Transcultural Writers and Transcultural Fiction in the Age of Global Modernity.’ Transnational Literature Journal, 4, 2 (2012): 1-14,
Non-Peer Reviewed
‘When and Why Writers Self-Translate.’ TransLetter, Vancouver: Society of Translators and Interpreters of British Columbia, January 2017 (Winter Issue).
Long Reviews
‘Mikhail Epstein, The Transformative Humanities: A Manifesto. New York: Bloomsbury, 2012.’ A review. Rhizomes: Cultural Studies in Emerging Knowledge, 27(2014).
Translations
Rymaszewski M. et al. 2007. La Guida Ufficiale di Second Life (The Official Guide to Second Life). Roma: La Biblioteca di Repubblica-L’Espresso.
McKenna, E.P. 2002. Donne che lavorano troppo (Women Who Work Too Much). Milano: Mondadori.
Springsteen, B. 1999. Bruce Springsteen: Songs. Milano: Mondadori.
Njiké-Bergeret, C. 2000. Passione d’Africa (Ma passion africaine). Milano: Mondadori.
Non Peer-reviewed Chapters in Books
- Dagnino, A. “Caravanserragli transculturali.” Open Book: Autori di Crescita.Ed. Francesco Morace. Milano: Egea/Bocconi University, 12-15.
- Dagnino, A. “e.biscom. Cominciare dai soldi.” In Bidone.Com? Da dove riparte la net economy italiana. Eds. Luca de Biase and Giorgio Meletti. Rome: Fazi Editore, 73-86.
- Dagnino, A. “I nuovi consumatori. I conspiratori.” In Bidone.Com? Da dove riparte la net economy italiana. Eds. Luca de Biase and Giorgio Meletti. Rome: Fazi Editore, 221-236.
- Dagnino, A. “L’Africa che scotta.” In Gens Electrica.Ed. Bernardo Parrella. Milano: Apogeo/Feltrinelli, 85-97.
Academic Conferences, Seminars, and Workshops
Keynote Speaker
- Dagnino, A. “Transcultural Nomads, Urban Caravanserais and Neighbourhood Commons.”Interiors Forum World 2015 – Nomadic Interiors. Living and Inhabiting in
an Age of Migrations.Politecnico di Milano, Milan, Italy. May 21-22.
Panel organizer
- “Perché autotradursi?” Annual Conference of the Canadian Society for Italian Studies (CSIS), The University of Ottawa, Ottawa, 11-13 May 2018.
Peer-reviewed conference papers
“Bilingual Self-Translation as Transcultural Mediation.” Traditions and
Transitions. International conference for the 90th anniversary of the Department of English and
American Studies. Sofia University “St. Kliment Ohridski,” Sofia, Bulgaria, 28-30 September 2018.
“Language is not Enough: The Need for Bicultural Literacy in Literary
(Self-)Translation.” Symposium of The Cultural Literacy in Europe Forum 2018, Monash University Prato Centre, Prato, Italy, 10-13 July 2018.
“Transcultural Mediation, Identity Building, and Translingualism in Francesca Marciano’s Self-Translations.” Annual Conference of the Canadian Society for Italian Studies (CSIS), The University of Ottawa, Ottawa, 11-13 May 2018.
‘Breaking the Linguistic Minority Complex through Self-Translation.’ Translation & Minority 2: Freedom and Difference. The University of Ottawa, School of Translation and Interpretation, Ottawa, 10-11 November 2017. Link.
‘Self-translation as Transcultural Mediation in Francesca Duranti’s Left-Handed Dreams.’ 9th ACIS Biennial Conference, Monash University, Prato, Italy, 4-7 July 2017.
‘Self-translating Writers and Transcultural Mediation.’ The Proximity of Cultures. St. John’s College, The University of British Columbia, Vancouver, 8 April 2017.
‘Deprovincializing Alessandro Spina: A transcultural reading of The Young Maronite in English translation.’ Regional Identities on a Global Scale: Translation, Audiences, Reception. Transnational Perspectives in Italian Studies. Thea Koerner House, The University of British Columbia, Vancouver, 31 March- 2 April 2016.
‘Manifesto for a Transcultural Humanism,’ Beyond Crisis: Visions for the New Humanities, Inaugural conference, Centre for Humanities Innovation (CHI), Durham University, UK, 7-9 July 2014.
https://www.dur.ac.uk/chi/tasks/8/
‘21st Century Transcultural Novels and Intercultural Reading Habits.’ Intercultural Research: Looking Back, Looking Forward. 10th Annual Symposium, Centre for Intercultural Language Studies (CILS), University of British Columbia, Vancouver, 9 May 2014.
http://cils.educ.ubc.ca/files/2014/04/CILS-10AnnSymp-May9-2014.pdf
‘Writing Across Cultural Borders: Transcultural Authors and Transcultural Novels in the Early 21st Century Literature of Global Mobility.’ Border Crossings Conference, Flinders University, 10-12 December 2012, Penneshaw, Kangaroo Island, Australia.
http://www.flinders.edu.au/ehl/fms/hums_research/firthfocus/KIConf_Abstracts_2012v6.pdf
‘Neonomadism and the Transcultural Turn in the Literature of Mobility.’ Digital Crossroads Conference, University of Utrecht, Utrecht, 28-30 June 2012.
‘Comparative Literary Studies in the Twenty-First Century: Towards a Transcultural Perspective?’ CSAA 2011 Annual Conference: Cultural ReOrientations and Comparative Colonialities, Adelaide, University of South Australia, 22-24 November 2011.
Invited Talks
“Writing and Self-Translating in Transcultural Mode.” Contract Faculty Colloquium & Publication Display. The University of British Columbia, Vancouver, 14 March 2018.
“From Doom to Bloom. Dante’s Teachings for (our) Troubled Times.” Q&A with Prof. Daniela Boccassini. The Dante Alighieri Society of British Columbia. The Roundhouse Creative and Community Centre. 5 December 2017. Link
“Transcultural Caravanserais and the Culture of Hospitality.” Festival della Crescita. Sestri Levante (Genova), Italy, 26 June 2017.
“Pirandello and Sicily.” In cerca d’autore: Pirandello nostro contemporaneo. Seminar. Italian Studies. The University of British Columbia, Vancouver, 31 March 2017.
“Chopin and Italy,” pre-show talk, inaugural concert of the Dante Alighieri Society, Pyatt Hall, Vancouver, December 4, 2015.
“Flamenco and the diasporic soul,” pre-show talk to Paco Peña’s show “Flamencura,” The Chan Centre of the Performing Arts, Vancouver, October 24, 2015.
