[EDLING:2359] CFP: Literature for Europe: European Identities and European Literature in a Globalizing World

[Francis M. Hult]

ESF-LiU Conference

Literature for Europe: European Identities and European Literature in a =
Globalizing World

Vadstena Klosterhotell, Sweden
12-16 May 2007

Chaired by: Theo L. D'haen (Katholieke Universiteit Leuven, BE)

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Recently, the European Union welcomed fifteen new member states. The =
accession of a number of Balkan states is impending. Turkey is waiting =
in the wings. Transatlantic relations to the USA are hotly debated, in =
politics as in culture. China and India awake as economic giants. =
Globalization is upon us. At the same time, two of the earliest =
signatories to the treaties eventually leading to the European Union =
reject a proposal for a European Constitution, and linguistic, =
religious, and ethnic dividing lines show even in some of Europe's =
oldest nation states. What role do literature, and the study of =
literature, play in the constant re-negotiation and re-construction of =
cultural identities all this implies? How do literary texts, genres, and =
forms, thinking about them, teaching them, respond to and shape ongoing =
processes of European self-understanding in our era of globalization? =
The conference will seek to answer these questions by charting key =
developments in a number of fields its organizers see as crucial to the =
emergence of a European common literary "space": Literature and cultural =
value systems, Literature and cultural memory, Literary History, =
Translation, the impact of the New Media and the Information Age on =
matters of Literature and Identity, and the impact of the Postcolonial. =
Emphasis will be not on looking back, but rather on pinpointing where a =
specific field is at right now, looking forward to probable =
developments, and drawing up a possible research agenda for literary =
studies in Europe.

Invited speakers should look upon their presentation not as a polished =
conference paper, but as a thought-provoking tour d'horizon in which =
they discuss the import of what they see as cutting-edge developments in =
their field on the relationship between literary studies and "the matter =
of Europe". Poster sessions are planned and time will be alloted to =
short oral contributions (selected from abstracts).

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Dear Sir or Madam,

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Please be kindly reminded that the closing date for application (and for =
abstract submission) is the 28th of February 2007.=20

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Some grants will be available for young researchers to cover the =
conference fee and possibly part of the travel costs. Grant requests =
should be made by ticking appropriate field(s) in the paragraph "Grant =
application" of the application form =
http://www2.esf.org/asp/esfrcaf.asp?confcode=3D230&meetno=3D1


The conference programme as well as the list of invited speakers is =
available from www.esf.org/conferences/07230

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Many thanks for passing on this information to any of your =
colleagues/students who may be interested in this event. The conference =
flyer is attached for this purpose.

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Kind regards,

Corinne Wininger

Publicity Officer - ESF Communications Unit

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European Science Foundation - Communications Unit

1 quai Lezay-Marn=E9sia, BP 90015

67080 Strasbourg Cedex, France

Phone: +33 (0)388 76 21 50
Fax: +33 (0)388 76 71 80
clemoal at esf.org

www.esf.org/conferences