Spatio-Temporal Entanglements of European Memory Narratives in Contemporary Literature, London
INSTITUTE OF LANGUAGES, CULTURES AND SOCIETIES
School of Advanced Study | University of London
CALL FOR PAPERS
Spatio-Temporal Entanglements of European Memory Narratives in Contemporary Literature (Workshop)
to be held at the ILCS, University of London Senate House, London WC1E 7HU (17 November 2023).
Organisers: Michel Mallet (Moncton University), Maria Mayr (Memorial University of Newfoundland), Timo Obergöker (University of Chester), Kristin Rebien (San Diego State University)
Keynote speaker: Max Silverman (University of Leeds)
The term ‘Co-Memoration’ (Henke and Vanassche, 2020) functions as an umbrella for conceptual approaches within Memory Studies that analyse both geographically and temporally diverging historical phenomena, often in their transnational dimension. It captures the basic tenants of terms such as 'histoire croisée' (Werner and Zimmermann), 'entangled history' (Randeria, Feindt et al.), 'travelling memory' (Erll), 'knots of memory' (Rothberg, Sanyal & Silverman), 'multidirectional memory' (Rothberg), 'connective memory' (Hoskin), 'haunting legacies' (Schwab), 'cosmopolitan memory' (Levy and Sznaider), 'palimpsestic memory' (Silverman), and other forms of transnational, transcultural, and diachronic memories. Co-memorative approaches thus have effectively moved Memory Studies beyond methodological nationalism and are particularly well-suited to analyzing European memory discourses.
This workshop will explore how contemporary literatures from across Europe rethink and unsettle established European memory discourses. In particular, we are interested in the temporal and spatial entanglements of narratives that have helped establish and sustain European memory – such as colonialism, racism, and persecution – and in the capacity of literary texts to subvert old and create new ones. While discussions will be in English, we are eager to engage broader transnational and multilingual contexts. We invite participants from various disciplines (English, French, German, Italian, Slavic studies, etc.) to take part in a one-day workshop to discuss creative approaches and shareable narratives. We plan to include selected essays in a special journal issue.
Suggested topics for proposals include, but are not limited to:
How do contemporary literatures from across Europe produce forms of co-memoration?
How does literature create 'anschlussfähige Erinnerung' (Aleida Assmann) or shared or shareable narratives (Luisa Passerini)? That is, how does literature help construct memories and narratives that are specific to a culture, language, or nation, yet are also consonant with other contexts, thereby avoiding hegemonic master narratives?
How do contemporary literary texts rethink and unsettle established European memory discourses?
What are European examples of transnational, transcultural, or diachronic paths of memory?
How do transcultural reflections on these shared histories and memories in Europe contribute to a sense of European unity in the present?
Please submit your abstract (300 words) to michel.mallet@umoncton.ca by 1 June 2023.
School of Advanced Study |University of London
Senate House | Malet Street |London WC1E 7HU
Tel: +44 (0)20 7862 8966 | Email: jane.lewin@sas.ac.uk
Website: https://ilcs.sas.ac.uk/