WIGS, not to be confused with WAGs, stands for Women in German Studies, co-organizers of a conference in Liverpool next week.

IMPACT: German-Language Culture and its Reception

Venue: Foresight Centre, University of Liverpool, 23 to 25 July 2008

The programme can be seen at the link. Via an ITI list, I also received details of the Thursday evening round table discussion. No guarantee as to their correctness:

At
The Auditorium, Tate Liverpool, 17:30, Thurs 24 July 2008.

Featuring
Chair: Michael Schmidt, Professor of Poetry (Glasgow), editor Carcanet Press
Christoph Grunenberg, director of Tate Liverpool
Karen Leeder, Reader in German (Oxford), freelance translation and radio
work
Walter Meierjohann, Associate Director at Young Vic Theatre, London
Rebecca Morrisson, Editor of New Books in German (London)

A round table discussion followed by questions invited from the floor

How receptive is the British public to the history and culture of its close
neighbours in German-speaking Europe? Come and listen to 6 industry
specialists from publishing, theatre and the art world discussing the
practical challenges and cultural considerations in packaging
German-language culture for a British audience. Have the fall of the wall,
the increased profile of contemporary German-language film and literature in
translation, and the successful hosting of the 2006 World Cup altered
British attitudes to the German-speaking countries, or do representatives of
all things German still find themselves battling against ingrained
stereotypes? Is the dramatic decline in European language learning at
British schools cementing intolerance and cultural indifference for
generations to come, or might it actually increase the market for
translation and specialist cultural mediation?