Leading literary theorist Sherry Simon shows how the processes and effects of translation pervade contemporary life by exploring spaces whose meanings are shaped by language traffic and by a clash of memories. Mount Royal is one such space. From the Kanien'keha and Anishinaabeg spoken in the film Hochelaga terre des âmes, to the Italian language that ensured the circulation of Jacques Cartier's account of the village of Hochelaga, from the medieval English vocabulary devised by Frederick Law Olmsted to describe "his" mountain, to the Yiddish language of the Jewish poets living in the shadow of Mount Royal, the natural space at the centre of Montreal resonates with diverse voices and accents.

The event will be followed by a drinks reception.

Sherry Simon is Distinguished Professor Emerita in the French Department of Concordia University, Montreal. She has written extensively about translation and the cultural life of cities. Her most recent publications are Translation Sites, 2019 and Promenades polyglottes. Le mont Royal et ses langues, 2023.