Poster Exhibition on the Retranslations of Children’s Literature by ETI 470 History of Translation Students

Senior students from the Department of English Translation and Interpreting at the Faculty of Arts and Sciences, Izmir University of Economics (IEU), organized a poster exhibition titled “Structural and Cultural Adaptations in the Retranslations of Children’s Literature” on June 1–2, 2026, as part of the ETI 470 History of Translation course.

The students examined the Turkish retranslation processes of classical literary works that were once regarded as adult literature but gradually evolved into children’s literature over time. The exhibition attracted significant attention from students and faculty members across different departments. Rector Prof. Dr. Yusuf Hakan Abacıoğlu also attended the event and closely examined the students’ projects.

The exhibition featured projects on landmark works of world literature, such as Little Women, The Secret Garden, Moby-Dick, Jane Eyre, Treasure Island, Gulliver’s Travels, and A Tale of Two Cities. Drawing on various theoretical frameworks, particularly Antoine Berman’s “Retranslation Hypothesis” and Lawrence Venuti’s strategies of “domestication” and “foreignization,” the students comparatively analyzed structural adaptations shaped by pedagogical concerns as well as the transformation of cultural elements such as religious expressions, place names, and forms of address across different translations over the years.

In addition to their academic analyses, the students transformed the exhibition into a visually engaging experience by wearing costumes inspired by the novels they studied and using various accessories and themed materials, offering visitors a colorful and interactive atmosphere.