Swiss Literature in a Transnational Context - A Case Study in Entanglements (GSA 2025 Seminar)
Conventional histories of Swiss literature emphasize a literary canon that is seen as the result of a linear national development. Our seminar argues that this national-historical paradigm does not do justice to the diversity that is inherent to all Swiss literature. It proposes instead to understand Swiss literature as the product of multiple entanglements: a variety of linguistic and cultural traditions, the impact of which can be described both synchronically and diachronically (as "entangled history" of "histoire croisée"). Multilingualism has always been an integral part of 'Swiss' writing. Migration and mobility are constitutive factors for Swiss literature, not merely accidental factors that affected some of its texts. Many 'Swiss' texts involve global settings and/or thematize the tension between the 'local' and the 'global.' It is precisely the transnational nature of Swiss writing that has made it relevant to international audiences and contributed to its lively reception abroad.
The seminar's format will consist of the discussion of pre-circulated papers (3,000 words each) by the seminar articipants. We'll assign a limited number of short methodological texts (approximately 20 pages) introducing key concepts. Papers are due on 15 August 2025 and will be circulated six weeks before the conference.
Please submit an abstract describing the nature of your contribution to the seminar (500 words max), as well as a short biography (300 words max) through the OpenWater submissions portal.
Conveners:
Carl Niekerk, University of Illinois (niekerk@illinois.edu)
Laurie Johnson, University of Illinois (lruthjoh@illinois.edu)
Robert Leucht, University of Lausanne (robert.leucht@unil.ch)
Contact Information
Laurie Johnson
Contact Email
lruthjoh@illinois.edu
URL