Jo, Eunji | 조은지

Jo, Eunji | 조은지

Doctoral candidate, graduate instructor, and teaching consultant fellow at Carnegie Mellon University

About Me

My research sits at the intersection of diasporic literature, transnational and mobility studies, and urban geography, integrating close reading with digital humanities methods to examine cultural practices and representations. By analyzing diasporic narratives and their circulation, I aim to empower urban communities by challenging exclusionary spatial practices and exploring creative ways to foster diversity and inclusivity in city spaces.

Current Project

“Diaspora Voices in Translation: A Database of 21st-Century Translated Works

Funding: Twice supported by departmental research grants.

My current solo project, “Diaspora Voices in Translation,” interrogates the transnational circulation of literature by documenting and analyzing how English-language works by U.S.-based diasporic authors are selected, translated, packaged, and marketed for readers in South Korea. At the heart of this initiative is a public, critical database containing 290 novels originally published in English since 2000 and subsequently translated into Korean through the end of 2023.

In constructing this database, I have carefully charted and documented the inclusion criteria, gathered bibliometric data (titles, author’s names, publication dates, a Korean publisher, a translator, and genre classifications), and collected cover images and blurbs. Data collection was facilitated largely by two major online South Korean bookstores, Aladdin and Kyobo, ensuring as little missing data as possible in case a book is sold via selected market places. The bibliometric database revealed several key trends from 2000 to 2023, including an overall increase in translations of diasporic fiction and a steady interest in U.S. authors of Korean heritage, whose works are almost invariably marketed under the rubric of “ethnic Korean author.” Notably, the average time between a work’s original publication and its translation and publication in Korean is seven months shorter if the author is of Korean heritage, compared to diasporic authors of other ethnic backgrounds. At the same time, the evidence points to some gaps, particularly around South Asian authors and queer subject matter, which appear to be overshadowed by the translation industry’s preference for established names, prizewinning works, or novel-to-screen adaptations.

By bridging diaspora studies, literary markets, translation studies, and digital humanities, this research contributes to contemporary debates on the global circulation of literature and the politics of categorization. This project extends into my dissertation by examining how diasporic literature produced in the U.S. is repackaged and marketed for international audiences. Rather than simply reflecting the experiences of American readerships, diasporic sensibilities travel, shaping global readerships beyond U.S. borders.

If you’re interested in collaborating, I’d love to hear from you. Please get in touch.