Staff profile

Dr Lilit Thwaites

Honorary Research Associate

Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences

School of Historical and European Studies

HU3 208, Melbourne (Bundoora)

 

Qualifications

MA (Toronto), PhD (Toronto).

Membership of professional Associations

Association of Iberian and Latin American Studies of Australasia [AILASA]; The Australian Association for Literary Translation [AALiTra]; Member, Editorial Advisory Board, JILAR [Journal of Iberian and Latin American Research]; member, Executive Committee, Cultural Cooperation Program (Spain-Australia); member, Executive Committee, AALiTra.

Area of study

Latin American Studies
Spanish Studies

Brief Profile

Dr Lilit Thwaites started learning Spanish at McGill University in Canada, and completed her PhD at the University of Toronto, with a specialisation in contemporary Spanish literature, and the work of women writers in particular. Brief stints as a high school teacher in Rhode Island (Spanish & French) and several years as a tutor in the Spanish Departments at the Universities of Toronto & Calgary added invaluable teaching and research experience to her CV. A move to Australia followed (1981), and the start of almost thirty years as an academic at La Trobe, commencing as a tutor and eventually  serving as Head of the Spanish Program and Deputy Dean of the Faculty. After a brief period of retirement, Dr  Thwaites returned to La Trobe for eighteen months as Acting Director of the Academic Language and Learning Unit, overseeing the implementation of the Unit’s restructure.  Re-retirement has meant a return to her status as an Honorary Associate in Spanish at La Trobe, allowing her to focus primarily on literary translation (Spanish>English) and ongoing research projects, and on the organisation of, and involvement in events and activities (especially visits and lectures by writers from Spanish-speaking countries) that promote all things Spanish.

Research interests

Language and Culture in Society

- Contemporary Spanish society and cultures

Literary Studies

- Contemporary Spanish literature, with a focus on women writers

- Hispano-Australian and Latina writers

- Literary translation (from Spanish to English)

Recent Publications

Book chapters

  • Thwaites, L. (2005). 'Writing from the periphery: Basque writer Luisa Etxenike and her novel Efectos secundarios (1996)'. In A. Horno-Delgado & J. Gold, eds. Mujeres y Cambio desde la Letra. Santo Domingo: Secretaria de Estado de La Mujer, pp. 391-401.
  • Thwaites, L. (2004). 'Limpiaculos, cucarachas and marujas: Pilar Pombo’s Monólogos and the Older Spanish Woman', in S. King, & J. Browitt (eds), The Space of Culture. Critical Readings in Hispanic Studies. Newark: Univ. of Delaware Press, pp. 29-38.
  • Thwaites, L. (2001). 'The Search for Identity, the Search for Place in Olga Lorenzo’s The Rooms in My Mother’s House', in S. Ballyn et al (eds), Changing Geographies: Essays on Australia. Barcelona: Promocions i Publicacions, pp. 211-220.

Literary translations (Spanish to English)

Book

Short Stories

Unpublished

  • Thwaites, L. (2007). Mrs Grose’s English Classes. English translation of El verano del inglés (Carme Riera). [Commissioned by the author; submitted to Agencia Balcells in 2007].

Selected conference papers, lectures and seminars

  • Thwaites, L. (2012). “Prehistory, DNA, Telomeres, Aliens, Replicants, Murder – and Love Stories to Boot: translating Spanish literature in the 21st Century. It’s challenging, it’s fun, and it should also qualify as academic research”. Spain & Latin America Research Day, Melbourne.
  • Thwaites, L. (2012). “The replicant, the Memorist and the Lizard: translating Rosa Montero’s Futuristic Thriller Lágrimas en la lluvia”. Seminar, La Trobe University, Melbourne.
  • Thwaites, L. (2011). “Ana María Matute – the Writer Who Never Grew Up”. Lecture at the Instituto Cervantes, Sydney.
  • Thwaites, L. (2009). “Dalí and Lorca: Passions Shared’. Illustrated talk given as part of “DalíBites”. (Dalí Exhibition), National Gallery of Victoria [NGV], Melbourne.
  • Thwaites, L. (2008). “Frida Kahlo and La Malinche: Two Key Women of Mexico”. Lecture at CWA Study Weekend on Mexico, UNE, Armidale.
  • Thwaites, L. (2008). “'The Sleep of Reason': Human Folly, Francisco de Goya and Antonio Buero Vallejo”. Illustrated talk given as part of “Goya’s Vision of War” Seminar (Goya Exhibition), NGV, Melbourne.
  • Thwaites, L. (2007). ‘Crossing Boundaries, Establishing Links: Aspects of the Work of the (Catalan-Chilean) Artist Roser Bru.' AILCFH International Conference, Sevilla.

Selected sessions at writers festivals, film festivals, conversations with authors etc.

  • “Javier Cercas and Juan Gabriel Vászquez: Truth and Fiction.” Chair of Session. The Wheeler Centre. Books, Writing, Ideas, Melbourne, March 2012.
  • “Conversación con Lourdes Ortiz”. Conversaciones en Melbourne, 2012 [available at http://languages-linguistics.unimelb.edu.au/sites/languages-linguistics.unimelb.edu.au/files/media/ortiz-interview_0.mp3]
  • “In Other Words”. Panel session with Eliot Weinberger, Maureen Freely and Chris Andrews. International Writers Festival, Melbourne, 2011.
  • “Conversation with Luisa Etxenike”. Melbourne, 2011 [available as podcast at http://webstat.latrobe.edu.au/www/marketing/assets/podcasts/specials/luisa-etxenike.mp3]
  • Spotlight on Emili Rosales (in Spanish), International Writers Festival, Melbourne, 2010
  • “Conversation with Isabel Allende”. 2 separate sessions in English at inaugural Como Writers Festival, Melbourne, 2004.
  • Spotlight on Carlos Ruiz Zafón. 3 separate sessions (including one in Spanish), International Writers Festival, Melbourne, 2004
  • Introductions to numerous films shown at the following film festivals in Melbourne in recent years: La Mirada, the Spanish Film Festival and the Catalan Film Festival.

Research projects

The portrayal of older women in contemporary Spanish literature and film; notions of (inner) exile and dislocation; women writers of the periphery (Basque, Catalan and Galician writers in particular).