AILASA WEBINARS
Webinar 1: Stewart King interviews Lilit Thwaites
This interview with literary translator and AILASA’s co-founding President, Lilit Žekulin Thwaites (La Trobe University), is the first in a series of interviews on relevant issues that we will be bringing to our members.
In the interview, former AILASA President Stewart King (Monash University) asks Lilit about the establishment of the Association and a new book she has translated and co-edited, Australian Connection: a trilingual anthology of reflections on Australia by Spanish and some Latin American writers who have visited in recent years.
Those interested in the book can access an electronic copy online: https://issuu.com/publicacionesaecid/docs/australian_connection_electronico_ultima
WEBINARS & MASTERCLASSES
A Bit of Background
AILASA has great untapped potential in bringing Iberian and Latin American research closer to the general Australasian public who are starting to show a growing amount of interest in Iberian and Latin American cultures through an increased consumption of related cuisines, films, music, cultural performances, festivals, literature, travel and sports.
The Executive Committee is working towards revitalising the new AILASA website to be the Australian digital hub for everything related to Luso-Hispanic cultures, to be a quintessential go-to reference for learning about them, and to enable ongoing research activities and the academic community to be more accessible to the people.
The online seminars or webinars will cover a range of topics, from presentations on the new developments in specific areas in Iberian and Latin American Studies to more practical workshops for postgraduate students and ECRs. AILASA particularly encourages EOIs from those keen to curate a series that balances the literary and social scientific axes of the organization’s membership, and which takes a global perspective to Iberian and Latin American Studies.
There will be a healthy balance among Portuguese, Hispanic and Latin American research in terms of being showcased on the website and in their representation in the Digital Seminar Series. The Executive Committee will endeavour to present in equal parts, both the literary and social scientific research of the academic community and to foster collaboration between these two aspects. The Digital Seminar Series will be a great repository for important historical learning and a timely resource for balanced, well-researched and educated references in relation to ongoing events in the Iberian and Latin American societies around the world.
With the Digital Seminar Series, AILASA will be able to overcome physical limitations to research and teaching. We could reach a greater online audience internationally through this timely endeavour, and simultaneously attract more collaborations among Australasian and international academics, government organisations and community groups. The Seminar Series’ online workshops and lectures will aim to not only educate, but to also generate important conversations that could shed light on and catalyse much-needed change in certain societies.