Re-imag(in)ing History with Digital Humanities

Discover how digital humanities tools can reveal the hidden networks behind early Chinese–English translation in Re-imag(in)ing History with Digital Humanities. Professor James St. André explores the translators working in the late eighteenth and nineteenth centuries, when Britain and the United States were beginning to engage more deeply with China, and examines the people and collaborations that helped bridge different cultures. At the centre of the lecture is a newly developed digital project mapping relationships between translators. Through an interactive database, visualisation tools and a dedicated website, the research traces early direct translations from Chinese into English and the growth of knowledge about China in the English-speaking world. It demonstrates how modern digital methods can uncover fresh insights into translation history, literature, religion and cross-cultural exchange. Professor St. André is Head of the Department of Translation and Director of the Centre for Translation Technology at the Chinese University of Hong Kong. His teaching and research cover literary translation, translation history and theory, research methods and nineteenth-century Chinese–English translator networks. His visit is supported by the Macgeorge Bequest, the Asia Institute and the University of Melbourne Faculty of Arts. The lecture is suited to adults and older students interested in history, languages, China, translation, literature, religion and digital research. It takes place at the William Macmahon Ball Theatre, Level 1 of the Old Arts Building, University of Melbourne, on Tuesday 25 August 2026 from 6:30pm to 7:30pm. Entry is free, but registration through the official Humanitix page is essential. Accessible toilets and quiet spaces are listed. For further access or booking help, contact arts-engage@unimelb.edu.au or phone 13 63 52.