The emergence of digital technologies and their increasing importance in the production and reception of culture has fundamentally transformed the meaning and lived reality of authorship. The models developed at the end of the 19thcentury, alongside which the book industry still largely presents writers, are no longer valid. Being present on the Web is no longer simply a question of visibility, but for many an integral part of the creative activity. While the possible modes of publication and forms of writing multiply, with popular platforms and social media making it easy to reach at least some audience without any institutional approval or selection process, the financial situation of most authors remains precarious. How do authors respond and make a living? How do they use the digital tools and spaces available to them? How do the concept and practice of publication change, and what are the implications? And what legal framework would be most suitable for operating in the new ecosystem?
These and similar questions are at the focus of the conference on Digital Authorship to be held at Paris 8 on 18-19 October, as part of a joint project run by Erika Fülöp at DeLC and member of The Authors and the World research hub, and Claire Larsonneur of Paris 8. The project involves a series of four conferences – two at either universities, with the Lancaster events funded by the AHRC under Erika’s The Creative Web of Languages project – and a series of interviews with authors active in the digital space. It also involves MA students in Translation from both institutions who work together on the interviews and their translations, to be presented in a bilingual volume.
In the upcoming conference Prof. Rebecca Braun, director of The Authors and the World, will deliver a keynote on ‘Networks, World Literature, and Modes of Authorship’, Erika Fülöp will talk about the creative uses of YouTube and Facebook, and DeLC graduate and MA in Translation student Amelia Hill will present her work on the translation of webcomics.
