Quaco

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.

Beyond the National Narrative

The way we approach colonial history and literature is often nation-centric, leaving hidden voices and stories overlooked and untranslated. To address this, we were awarded UK Research and Innovation (UKRI) funding for our network, Beyond the National Narrative . 

Henriette Louwerse, Duco van Oostrum, and Filip De Ceuster collaborate with scholars, authors, artists, and translators on projects exploring colonial legacies and contemporary multiculturalism, inviting our Sheffield students to join as partners wherever possible.

compilation of 4 images all related to the Beyond the national narrative project, including the cover of two journals, the logo of the ALCS conference and author De Jong

Our events and activities

Follow our activities and publications that spring from our AHRC network grant : Beyond the National Narrative

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

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

Workshop for schools

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

We offer KS3 workshops based on the graphic novel Quaco to start a conversation about the legacy of colonialism and slavery in schools in our region. 

Get in touch: h.louwerse@sheffield.ac.uk

Beyond the National Narrative

About the research project, activities and publications

Author Raoul de Jong on his novel 'Jaguarman'

Guest authors, artists and scholars

Against the backdrop of the Dutch Binnenhof in the Hague the announcement of the vodcast in three parts: Right-wing populism in the Netherlands

Right-Wing Populism in the Netherlands

In three podcasts, Henk de Berg and Koen Vossen explore the history, ideas and impact of Dutch right-wing populism, from Geert Wilders to the lessons for liberal democracies.
Dr Truus De Wilde standing in front of a screen clearly talking to a group. The slide reads: generalist approach
Dr Truus De Wilde (Freie Universitaet Berlin)

Focus on Linguistics: Dr Truus de Wilde

Our research project 'Beyond the National Narrative' is reaching its grand finale, and Sheffield is set to host two pivotal events on 5 and 6 May, 2026.

Dutch Author Safae el Khannoussi in a white summery top looking in the camera
Safae el Khannoussi (image: Merlijn Doomernik)

Safae el Khannoussi

Safae el Khannoussi, writer of the impressive debut novel 'Oroppa', worked with students and translator Shimanto Reza on the translation of an extract from the novel. 'Oroppa' will appear in English in March 2027.

Quaco. My Life in Slavery

Red letters read Quaco against a background of luscious trees. Subtitle: my life in slavery
Hidden story translated 
page form graphic novel Quaco
The graphic novel and teaching materials 
18th century leather bound book open on the first page and you see Stedman as soldier
John Gabriel Stedman on Quaco 

Student research projects

Quotation reads: How could we, with our comparatively privileged lives, be suitable translators for this project

Translation and Black Lives Matter

Jordi Britton, one of our student translators reflects on race, whiteness and the role of translation.
small collar made of copper with a crest

Podcast

As part of a SURE project, Catherine Newell looked into the representation of the colonial past and slavery in museums in Amsterdam, Brussels and Liverpool
Surinam exhibition SURE Project

British Library project

Megan Strutt took a recent novel of Dutch-Surinamese author Johan Fretz and used it to investigate the collection of the British Library in London.

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 the-low-countries.com 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.