Angelo Vannini | University Paris 8 (original) (raw)
Books by Angelo Vannini
Presses universitaires de Franche-Comté, 2021
co-edited volume
CALL FOR PAPERS -- APPEL À CONTRIBUTIONS pour « Repenser la traduction », numéro de revue dirige... more CALL FOR PAPERS -- APPEL À CONTRIBUTIONS
pour « Repenser la traduction », numéro de revue dirigé par Sacha Carlson (Université Charles, Prague), Angelo Vannini (Université Paris 8 Vincennes Saint-Denis) et Caroline Zekri (Université Paris-Est Créteil). Ce numéro paraîtra en 2022 pour la Revue des Sciences Humaines.
Stilo Editrice, 2018
By studying the relationship between the Italian writer Alberto Savinio (1891-1952) and the Latin... more By studying the relationship between the Italian writer Alberto Savinio (1891-1952) and the Latin writer Apuleius (2nd century AD), this book proposes a philosophical interpretation of Savinio’s work and will show how, through the rewriting of the Golden Ass, he developed a profound and original reflection on the European tragedies of the 20th century.
Arcipelago itaca, 2017
Starting from an interpretation of Plato’s Phaedo, this book is a meditation on the frontier as t... more Starting from an interpretation of Plato’s Phaedo, this book is a meditation on the frontier as the proper locus of literature. It is a journey in ancient and modern literature, engaging in a critical dialogue with Plato, Ovid, Montaigne, Giacomo Leopardi, Theodor W. Adorno, Jacques Derrida, Paul Celan, Giorgio Caproni and Hélène Cixous.
Papers by Angelo Vannini
Target. International Journal of Translation Studies
In this article, I consider what is assumed to be the speculative paradox of translation: that tr... more In this article, I consider what is assumed to be the speculative paradox of translation: that translation is theoretically impossible but actually practicable. My thesis is that this aporia is nothing but a consequence of the limited way in which translation is often conceptualised. In this article, the term ‘translation’ is to be understood as interlingual translation, unless otherwise indicated; more precisely, as literary translation. In order to present my argument, I will examine three examples of translation, namely: (1) the fictionalisation of the translation process in Nicole Brossard’s novel Le désert mauve; (2) Jean-François Billeter’s translation of a poem by the medieval Chinese poet Su Dongpo; and (3) the translation of the words ‘tragedy’ and ‘comedy’ by the fictional character Averroes in a short story written by Jorge Louis Borges. The analysis of these real or fictitious examples of translation will help to introduce the notion of the unspoken as that which cannot ...
This paper discusses the problem of Apuleius’ intromission in the fictional world of his novel (M... more This paper discusses the problem of Apuleius’ intromission in the fictional world of his novel (Met. 11.27), where the adjective Madaurensem, which refers to the hometown of Apuleius instead of that of the protagonist, disrupts the coherence of the diegetic world. The first part of the article consists in a critical discussion of various scholarly interpretations; in the second part, I offer a different narratological analysis through the conceptual tool of metalepsis and, finally, I formulate a new hypothesis for interpreting the passage.
Target: International Journal of Translation Studies, 2021
In this paper I intend to consider what is assumed to be the speculative paradox of translation: ... more In this paper I intend to consider what is assumed to be the speculative paradox of translation: that translation is theoretically impossible but actually practicable. My thesis is that this aporia is nothing but a consequence of the limited way in which translation is often conceptualised. In this paper the term translation is to be understood as interlingual translation, unless otherwise indicated; more precisely, as literary translation. In order to present my argument, I will examine three examples of translation, namely: (1) the fictionalisation of the translation process in Nicole Brossard’s novel Le désert mauve; (2) Jean-François Billeter’s translation of a poem by the medieval Chinese poet Su Dongpo; (3) the translation of the words ‘tragedy’ and ‘comedy’ by the fictional character Averroes in a short story written by Jorge Louis Borges. The analysis of these real or fictitious examples of translation will help to introduce the notion of the unspoken as that which cannot be transmuted or recognised as a sign. This ever-present dimension of the translation process will allow us to show that the thesis of fundamental untranslatability is a false aporia, which derives from a reductive understanding of the phenomenon of translation.
Critic, 2021
This article presents Antonio Gramsci's thought on translation, and in particular his concept of ... more This article presents Antonio Gramsci's thought on translation, and in particular his concept of the translatability of scientific and philosophical languages. At first, the authors present and comment on Gramsci's reflections, trying to unveil the hidden presuppositions of his approach. Then, drawing on epistemic difference — a difference in the network of cognitive and affective connections allowing the production or reception of a discourse according to a certain truth value — the authors try to deterritorialise the Gramscian concept of translatability to rethink the epistemology of translation, redirecting it towards greater epistemic justice.
Rivista di Cultura Classica e Medievale (LXII.1), 2020
This paper aims to reconsider the problem of the speaker’s identity in the first lines of Apuleiu... more This paper aims to reconsider the problem of the speaker’s identity in the first lines of Apuleius’ Metamorphoses: who is the person, in the prologue, who says ‘I’? This problem is intertwined with two precise exegetical questions, to which a satisfactory answer has not yet been given: the first concerns the aporia introduced by the expression 'quis ille', the second has to do with the interpretation of the sentence 'iam haec equidem ipsa vocis immutatio desultoriae scientiae stilo quem accersimus respondet.' The author first examines the problem as well as the solutions suggested by scholars so far. He then proceeds to present a new exegetical hypothesis aimed at solving the difficulty.
Recherches & Travaux, 2019
This article analyses the relationship between translation and fiction in the novel Mauve Desert ... more This article analyses the relationship between translation and fiction in the novel Mauve Desert (Le Désert mauve) by the Québec poet Nicole Brossard.
Dialogues d'Histoire Ancienne, supplément spécial à paraître
A new interpretation of Apuleius’ De Deo Socratis aimed at solving the so-called contradictions i... more A new interpretation of Apuleius’ De Deo Socratis aimed at solving the so-called contradictions identified by scholars.
Studi Italiani di Filologia Classica, 2018
This paper discusses the problem of Apuleius’ intromission in the fictional world of his novel (M... more This paper discusses the problem of Apuleius’ intromission in the fictional world of his novel (Met. 11.27), where the adjective Madaurensem, which refers to the hometown of Apuleius instead of that of the protagonist, disrupts the coherence of the diegetic world. The first part of the article consists in a critical discussion of various scholarly interpretations; in the second part, I offer a different narratological analysis through the conceptual tool of metalepsis and, finally, I formulate a new hypothesis for interpreting the passage.
Fillide, 2018
A new interpretation of the relationship between the Italian writer Alberto Savinio (1891-1952) a... more A new interpretation of the relationship between the Italian writer Alberto Savinio (1891-1952) and the French surrealism.
Eikasia: revista de filosofía, 2015
In the first part of the paper, I examine some passages of Plato’s dialogues in order to apprehen... more In the first part of the paper, I examine some passages of Plato’s dialogues in order to apprehend a particular concept of irony founded on the paradox of a circularity from which it is impossible to come out. The second part is devoted to the discussion of the concept of irony developed by Alberto Savinio – one of the most ironic writers of twentieth century Italian literature – in his introduction to the selected works of Lucian of Samosata.
Collection de l'ECRIT, 2016
This paper analyses the reception of the myth of Oedipus in the works of the Italian writer Giorg... more This paper analyses the reception of the myth of Oedipus in the works of the Italian writer Giorgio Manganelli, and in particular in the play High Tea.
Eikasia: revista de filosofía, 2017
This essay on the French poet Marielle Anselmo focuses on her literary strategy to question ident... more This essay on the French poet Marielle Anselmo focuses on her literary strategy to question identities, through an incessant deconstruction of the bond between subject and place, as well as between subject and language.
Lexis, 2011
In this article, I present some textual observations on Telephos’ elegy (P. Oxy. 4708 fr. 1). Fir... more In this article, I present some textual observations on Telephos’ elegy (P. Oxy. 4708 fr. 1). First, I examine v. 2 from a semantic and rhythmic point of view; then I analyse vv. 22-5 discussing the most crucial textual suggestions hitherto accepted by scholars, including Heracles’ epiphany at 22. Finally, I explore the relationship between ‘cowardice’ and ‘flight’ in Early Greek Epic, concluding with some remarks about the structure and meaning of Telephos’ poem.
Invited Talks by Angelo Vannini
University of South Africa, 2019
Translating is a cognitive and social activity that concerns the way we relate to other people. T... more Translating is a cognitive and social activity that concerns the way we relate to other people. This means that in the way we translate – and in the way we conceive of translation – there is the possibility of being just or unjust towards other people. Translating a text does not only mean finding the best way of recreating its meaning and value in another language, but it also implies very often dealing with the interconnection of two different epistemic territories. This talk is an attempt to figure out strategies to deal with the interconnection of different epistemic territories so as to increase epistemic justice.
University Paris Nanterre, 2019
Presses universitaires de Franche-Comté, 2021
co-edited volume
CALL FOR PAPERS -- APPEL À CONTRIBUTIONS pour « Repenser la traduction », numéro de revue dirige... more CALL FOR PAPERS -- APPEL À CONTRIBUTIONS
pour « Repenser la traduction », numéro de revue dirigé par Sacha Carlson (Université Charles, Prague), Angelo Vannini (Université Paris 8 Vincennes Saint-Denis) et Caroline Zekri (Université Paris-Est Créteil). Ce numéro paraîtra en 2022 pour la Revue des Sciences Humaines.
Stilo Editrice, 2018
By studying the relationship between the Italian writer Alberto Savinio (1891-1952) and the Latin... more By studying the relationship between the Italian writer Alberto Savinio (1891-1952) and the Latin writer Apuleius (2nd century AD), this book proposes a philosophical interpretation of Savinio’s work and will show how, through the rewriting of the Golden Ass, he developed a profound and original reflection on the European tragedies of the 20th century.
Arcipelago itaca, 2017
Starting from an interpretation of Plato’s Phaedo, this book is a meditation on the frontier as t... more Starting from an interpretation of Plato’s Phaedo, this book is a meditation on the frontier as the proper locus of literature. It is a journey in ancient and modern literature, engaging in a critical dialogue with Plato, Ovid, Montaigne, Giacomo Leopardi, Theodor W. Adorno, Jacques Derrida, Paul Celan, Giorgio Caproni and Hélène Cixous.
Target. International Journal of Translation Studies
In this article, I consider what is assumed to be the speculative paradox of translation: that tr... more In this article, I consider what is assumed to be the speculative paradox of translation: that translation is theoretically impossible but actually practicable. My thesis is that this aporia is nothing but a consequence of the limited way in which translation is often conceptualised. In this article, the term ‘translation’ is to be understood as interlingual translation, unless otherwise indicated; more precisely, as literary translation. In order to present my argument, I will examine three examples of translation, namely: (1) the fictionalisation of the translation process in Nicole Brossard’s novel Le désert mauve; (2) Jean-François Billeter’s translation of a poem by the medieval Chinese poet Su Dongpo; and (3) the translation of the words ‘tragedy’ and ‘comedy’ by the fictional character Averroes in a short story written by Jorge Louis Borges. The analysis of these real or fictitious examples of translation will help to introduce the notion of the unspoken as that which cannot ...
This paper discusses the problem of Apuleius’ intromission in the fictional world of his novel (M... more This paper discusses the problem of Apuleius’ intromission in the fictional world of his novel (Met. 11.27), where the adjective Madaurensem, which refers to the hometown of Apuleius instead of that of the protagonist, disrupts the coherence of the diegetic world. The first part of the article consists in a critical discussion of various scholarly interpretations; in the second part, I offer a different narratological analysis through the conceptual tool of metalepsis and, finally, I formulate a new hypothesis for interpreting the passage.
Target: International Journal of Translation Studies, 2021
In this paper I intend to consider what is assumed to be the speculative paradox of translation: ... more In this paper I intend to consider what is assumed to be the speculative paradox of translation: that translation is theoretically impossible but actually practicable. My thesis is that this aporia is nothing but a consequence of the limited way in which translation is often conceptualised. In this paper the term translation is to be understood as interlingual translation, unless otherwise indicated; more precisely, as literary translation. In order to present my argument, I will examine three examples of translation, namely: (1) the fictionalisation of the translation process in Nicole Brossard’s novel Le désert mauve; (2) Jean-François Billeter’s translation of a poem by the medieval Chinese poet Su Dongpo; (3) the translation of the words ‘tragedy’ and ‘comedy’ by the fictional character Averroes in a short story written by Jorge Louis Borges. The analysis of these real or fictitious examples of translation will help to introduce the notion of the unspoken as that which cannot be transmuted or recognised as a sign. This ever-present dimension of the translation process will allow us to show that the thesis of fundamental untranslatability is a false aporia, which derives from a reductive understanding of the phenomenon of translation.
Critic, 2021
This article presents Antonio Gramsci's thought on translation, and in particular his concept of ... more This article presents Antonio Gramsci's thought on translation, and in particular his concept of the translatability of scientific and philosophical languages. At first, the authors present and comment on Gramsci's reflections, trying to unveil the hidden presuppositions of his approach. Then, drawing on epistemic difference — a difference in the network of cognitive and affective connections allowing the production or reception of a discourse according to a certain truth value — the authors try to deterritorialise the Gramscian concept of translatability to rethink the epistemology of translation, redirecting it towards greater epistemic justice.
Rivista di Cultura Classica e Medievale (LXII.1), 2020
This paper aims to reconsider the problem of the speaker’s identity in the first lines of Apuleiu... more This paper aims to reconsider the problem of the speaker’s identity in the first lines of Apuleius’ Metamorphoses: who is the person, in the prologue, who says ‘I’? This problem is intertwined with two precise exegetical questions, to which a satisfactory answer has not yet been given: the first concerns the aporia introduced by the expression 'quis ille', the second has to do with the interpretation of the sentence 'iam haec equidem ipsa vocis immutatio desultoriae scientiae stilo quem accersimus respondet.' The author first examines the problem as well as the solutions suggested by scholars so far. He then proceeds to present a new exegetical hypothesis aimed at solving the difficulty.
Recherches & Travaux, 2019
This article analyses the relationship between translation and fiction in the novel Mauve Desert ... more This article analyses the relationship between translation and fiction in the novel Mauve Desert (Le Désert mauve) by the Québec poet Nicole Brossard.
Dialogues d'Histoire Ancienne, supplément spécial à paraître
A new interpretation of Apuleius’ De Deo Socratis aimed at solving the so-called contradictions i... more A new interpretation of Apuleius’ De Deo Socratis aimed at solving the so-called contradictions identified by scholars.
Studi Italiani di Filologia Classica, 2018
This paper discusses the problem of Apuleius’ intromission in the fictional world of his novel (M... more This paper discusses the problem of Apuleius’ intromission in the fictional world of his novel (Met. 11.27), where the adjective Madaurensem, which refers to the hometown of Apuleius instead of that of the protagonist, disrupts the coherence of the diegetic world. The first part of the article consists in a critical discussion of various scholarly interpretations; in the second part, I offer a different narratological analysis through the conceptual tool of metalepsis and, finally, I formulate a new hypothesis for interpreting the passage.
Fillide, 2018
A new interpretation of the relationship between the Italian writer Alberto Savinio (1891-1952) a... more A new interpretation of the relationship between the Italian writer Alberto Savinio (1891-1952) and the French surrealism.
Eikasia: revista de filosofía, 2015
In the first part of the paper, I examine some passages of Plato’s dialogues in order to apprehen... more In the first part of the paper, I examine some passages of Plato’s dialogues in order to apprehend a particular concept of irony founded on the paradox of a circularity from which it is impossible to come out. The second part is devoted to the discussion of the concept of irony developed by Alberto Savinio – one of the most ironic writers of twentieth century Italian literature – in his introduction to the selected works of Lucian of Samosata.
Collection de l'ECRIT, 2016
This paper analyses the reception of the myth of Oedipus in the works of the Italian writer Giorg... more This paper analyses the reception of the myth of Oedipus in the works of the Italian writer Giorgio Manganelli, and in particular in the play High Tea.
Eikasia: revista de filosofía, 2017
This essay on the French poet Marielle Anselmo focuses on her literary strategy to question ident... more This essay on the French poet Marielle Anselmo focuses on her literary strategy to question identities, through an incessant deconstruction of the bond between subject and place, as well as between subject and language.
Lexis, 2011
In this article, I present some textual observations on Telephos’ elegy (P. Oxy. 4708 fr. 1). Fir... more In this article, I present some textual observations on Telephos’ elegy (P. Oxy. 4708 fr. 1). First, I examine v. 2 from a semantic and rhythmic point of view; then I analyse vv. 22-5 discussing the most crucial textual suggestions hitherto accepted by scholars, including Heracles’ epiphany at 22. Finally, I explore the relationship between ‘cowardice’ and ‘flight’ in Early Greek Epic, concluding with some remarks about the structure and meaning of Telephos’ poem.
University of South Africa, 2019
Translating is a cognitive and social activity that concerns the way we relate to other people. T... more Translating is a cognitive and social activity that concerns the way we relate to other people. This means that in the way we translate – and in the way we conceive of translation – there is the possibility of being just or unjust towards other people. Translating a text does not only mean finding the best way of recreating its meaning and value in another language, but it also implies very often dealing with the interconnection of two different epistemic territories. This talk is an attempt to figure out strategies to deal with the interconnection of different epistemic territories so as to increase epistemic justice.
University Paris Nanterre, 2019
Université Paris Est, 2019
University of Witwatersrand (South Africa), 2019
The linguistic-hermeneutic paradigm that defines the dominant conceptualisation (and praxis) of t... more The linguistic-hermeneutic paradigm that defines the dominant conceptualisation (and praxis) of translation is the result of a precise history, that is to say the consequence of translation experiences that have occurred in a precise geographic, cultural and epistemic space: that of Western modernity. With this in mind, it becomes urgent to produce a critical genealogy of the European understanding of translation, in order to identify its philosophical premises. This unveiling will allow us to measure the ethical and political significance of the epistemic attitudes that these assumptions generate. Furthermore, it is necessary to investigate the philosophical legitimacy of these assumptions, that is, to understand their arbitrariness and contingency. In other words, it is necessary, on the one hand, to deconstruct them in order to open up other possibilities and, on the other hand, to assume an attitude of epistemic disobedience so as to build other avenues for translation theory and practice.
University of Witwatersrand (South Africa), 2018
This lecture tries to develop a theoretical framework for exploring the multiple relations betwee... more This lecture tries to develop a theoretical framework for exploring the multiple relations between translation, normativity and identity, in order to disclose the complex dynamics of inclusion and exclusion, of accessibility and oppression that every translation entails.
Wits University (South Africa), School of Language, Literature and Media, 2018
On the relationship between literary writing, language and translation.
Université Paris 8, 2018
This lecture tries to challenge both the sense-oriented approach to translation studies (e.g. Rom... more This lecture tries to challenge both the sense-oriented approach to translation studies (e.g. Roman Jakobson, Willard V.O. Quine) and the language-oriented perspective (e.g. Walter Benjamin, Antoine Berman), in order to open up a series of questions concerning translation as a matrix of power.
Université Paris 8, Département de philosophie, 2017
Lecture on Pier Paolo Pasolini’s relationship to Student movements of 1968, which focused on Paso... more Lecture on Pier Paolo Pasolini’s relationship to Student movements of 1968, which focused on Pasolini’s style of contradiction as a tool for questioning authority and public opinion, opening up a critical space for the dissident intellectual.
École Normale Supérieure, Département de philosophie, 2017
Historical analysis of Italian government policies on education aimed at outlining the funding si... more Historical analysis of Italian government policies on education aimed at outlining the funding situation of Italian universities from 1990s to present.
Institut des Sciences et Techniques de l'Antiquité, Université de Franche-Comté, 2017
This lecture focuses on the necessity of a new consideration of Apuleius as a philosopher.
Université Stendhal-Grenoble 3, Department of Italian Studies, 2013
This lecture presented a study of the rewriting of Euripides’ Alcestis in the play Alcesti o la r... more This lecture presented a study of the rewriting of Euripides’ Alcestis in the play Alcesti o la recita dell’esilio, written by the Italian poet Giovanni Raboni (1932-2004).
Association for the Study of Modern and Contemporary France Annual Conference, University of Hull (U.K.), 2015
On the rewriting of Euripides’ Alcestis in Marguerite Yourcenar’s play Le Mystère d’Alceste.
International conference L’éthos de l’écrivain-traducteur, University of Paris Sorbonne-Nouvelle , 2018
Université de Franche-Comté, colloque Sonus in Metaphora, 2018
Journée Doctorale Île-de-France, Maison de l’Italie, Paris, 2015
Edieren, kommentieren, interpretieren: Die vielfältigen Zugänge zu literarischen Texten, Katholische Universität Eichstätt-Ingolstadt (Germany), 2015
This lecture presented a new interpretation of Apuleius’ De Deo Socratis and expressed the need o... more This lecture presented a new interpretation of Apuleius’ De Deo Socratis and expressed the need of reconsidering the figure of Apuleius as a philosopher.
University of Urbino (Italy), international conference, 2014
A philosophical reflection about the hermeneutic implications of studying the reception of ancien... more A philosophical reflection about the hermeneutic implications of studying the reception of ancient texts in modern times. In particular, I showed how the interpretations of some medieval readers of Apuleius could be useful for deconstructing the system of anticipations of our hermeneutic position, which is historically motivated, and for formulating new valuable questions that could improve our understanding of Apuleius’ text.
Call for Applications for an international online Seminar on epistemic justice