[Mar 17] Francophone World Crossings: A Conversation with Elisa Shua Dusapin

Date: March 17, 2026 (Tuesday)

Time: 3:15 pm - 4:30 pm

Venue: CPD-2.19, Centennial Campus, The University of Hong Kong

Speaker: Elisa Shua Dusapin

in conversation with Claire Gullander-Drolet (Assistant Professor, Dept of English, CityUHK)

Moderator: Su Yun Kim (Associate Professor, Korean Studies, HKU)

All are welcome. Please register at https://forms.office.com/r/t6KhEG096Y

Please join us for an afternoon of conversation with acclaimed Franco-Korean author Elisa Shua Dusapin and Prof. Claire Gullander-Drolet (CityU of Hong Kong), moderated by Prof. Su Yun Kim (HKU). Elisa Shua Dusapin is the author of four books: Winter in Sokcho, The Pachinko Parlor, Vladivostok Circus, and, most recently, The Old Fire. She is the recipient of many awards, including the National Book Award for translated literature, the Prix Robert-Walser, Prix Alpha and the Prix Régine-Deforges. A film adaptation of Winter in Sokcho was released in 2024 and screened last year to great acclaim during the Hong Kong French May Festival.

In this talk, we will explore themes around translation, identity, and cultural exchange as they relate to Shua Dusapin’s work and writing philosophy. In its Latin roots, “to translate” means to “carry over,” invoking a movement between two discrete spaces. What is lost in this act of carrying across, and what might be gained? How might translated literature serve as a bridge between cultures, and what role might translation play in fostering a more just and inclusive world? To answer these questions, we will explore forms of linguistic and cultural translation in Shua Dusapin’s work and consider the role of the cultural outsider in bridging different worlds. We will also discuss her relationship with her translators, most notably her English-language translator Aneesa Abbas Higgins, and reflect on the role of the global, multilingual city in fostering these exchanges, considering our respective locations in Hong Kong and Switzerland in the process.

This event is organised by the School of Modern Languages and Cultures and by the Consulate General of France in Hong Kong and Macau as part of Francophonie 2026.

For enquiries, please contact us at smlc@hku.hk