Erika Lind-Larsen from Vestby Upper Secondary School came in first place in the Holberg School Programme with her research project “Lost in Translation?”.
In her research project “Lost in Translation?” Lind-Larsen asks what is lost in the translation from one language to another, and, if what is lost matters to the overall interpretation. Her project centers on a novel, Heartstopper, and its Norwegian translation.
The project displays a systematic reading of the original and translated versions, highlighting some discrepancies and arguing that they affect the readers’ perception of the characters, in particular.
The project report also highlights challenges faced by translators, both ethical in kind, as well as the commercial demands from a pressured publishing industry.
The School Programme
The Holberg School Programme is an annual research competition for students in Norwegian upper secondary schools i the humanities, social sciences law and theology. Each year, around 1,000 students from 20 selected schools participate in the competition.
The Holberg School Programme Jury selects three research projects that are awarded prizes of NOK 30,000, NOK 20,000 and NOK 10,000 respectively.
The finalists are announced in mid May, and the award ceremony is held during the Holberg Week in early June each year.