Quaco

Translating Quaco is an umbrella term for our integrated research and teaching activities. Researchers, translators, authors, and students collaborate to open up colonial legacy as a transnational history.

The project

The way we approach colonial history and literature is often nation-centric. Hidden voices and stories remain overlooked, and untranslated.   

Henriette Louwerse, Duco van Oostrum, Filip De Ceuster work with literary translator Jonathan Reeder, guest authors, artists and researchers, and 91Ö±²¥ students on a range  of projects around colonial legacy and present day multiculturalism. 

We were awarded UK Research and Innovation funding for our Beyond the National Narrative project.

Red letters read Quaco against a background of luscious trees. Subtitle: my life in slavery

We call our activities Translating Quaco, as a tribute to Quaco, the enslaved ‘futiboy’ of Scottish-Dutch officer John Gabriel Stedman.

We offer KS3 workshops based on the graphic novel to start a conversation about the legacy of slavery.

Centre for Dutch and Flemish Studies

student looking at the camera with papers in her hadn clearly working with young people in a school setting

We understand translation as a broad activity that involves research, contextualisation and activism. We translate, research, and analyse across language, literature, and national histories.

If you are interested in our work, our workshops, or you have ideas for research/translation projects, please get in touch: h.louwerse@sheffield.ac.uk

Quaco. My Life in Slavery

Our sponsors and partners

For Translating Quaco and our guest authors over the years we receive financial support from the Dutch Language Union, Nederlandse Taalunie.

We collaborate closely with the cultural hub  who are always willing to discuss how we can share our work.

We collaborate and receive support from: Dutch Centre at Austin Friars, Flanders House in London, UCL (in particular Christine Sas), Dutch Foundation for Literature, Flanders Literature, Black Archives Amsterdam, British Library, UitgeverijL (in particular Rob van Bavel).  

We owe special gratitude to Ineke Mok who took the initiative to create the graphic novel based on her research into the life of Quaco.