International Interdisciplinary Conference "Literature and Convergence" (24-25 May 2012 in Lodz)

full name / name of organization: 
Jaroslaw Pluciennik /University of Lodz, Poland
contact email: 

ZAGADNIENIA RODZAJÓW LITERACKICH Instytut Kultury Współczesnej UŁ
LES PROBLÈMES DES GENRES LITTÉRAIRES ul. Franciszkańska 1/5,
THE PROBLEMS OF LITERARY GENRES tel./fax (42) 665 51 33
Editor-in-Chief Prof. Jarosław Płuciennik, PhD Pałac Biedermanna, 91-431 Łódź

International Interdisciplinary Conference

Literature and Convergence

On 24-25 May 2012 in Lodz, International and Interdisciplinary Conference Literature and Convergence will be held. The conference is organized by the Department of Theory of Literature, Institute of Contemporary Culture – former Institute of Theory of Literature, Theatre and Audiovisual Arts – (University of Lodz) and the journal "The Problems of Literary Genres".

The main object of our reflection and discussion would be a concept of convergence –- which is extremely popular in contemporary scientific discourse. This term is used very widely: from mathematics and nature science, through linguistics, politology and sociology, up to studies in new media, communication and cultural anthropology. Is there actually so much contaminations, blending and diffusion in cultural processes and how much - if any - this phenomenon affects the literature and its theory?

The goal of our conference is to explore and critical survey (from literary studies' perspective) some of the cultural mechanisms and their effects characteristic for times of digitalisation of culture and the rapid technology development which may cause a hypothetical homogenization of culture space. What is (or should be) the place of literature and literary studies during these changes?

Below we offer some initial topics:

1) literary genres in convergence;
2) e-literature, new forms, new genres, new media and
technology (especially smartphones and tablets);
3) literature and comics, graphic novels, logo-visual genres;
4) literature and the Internet;
5) literature as an assistant of film, computer games (e.g. RPG);
6) celebrities' (auto)biographical literature, blogs;
7) new forms of teaching literature;
8) liberature; syncretism of forms, media, applications;
9) literariness (narrativity) of urban space; (extended reality, virtual literary guides to the

cities; literature and city​​ games).

Conference co-ordinators:

Organizing Committee:
Prof. PhD. Grzegorz Gazda,
Prof. PhD. Jaroslaw Pluciennik,
Michał Wróblewski, M.A.;

(Conference Secretary - tel. (0) 506 275 689, mail: wrooble@wp.pl)

If you are interested, please send an application with the title of your presentation and it's abstract (500-700 signs) till 5 March 2012 – mail: wrooble@wp.pl

A short bio information might be also helpful.

Conference languages: Polish and English

Estimated number of speakers: 50 people

Expected duration of the conference: 2 days

The conference fee will be: 300 PLN
Organizers provide coffee service and the publication of post-conference volume (after a selection).

Every day of the conference on-site meeting will be given lunch. Cost per meal is 30 PLN. Please add lunch money to the conference fee and transfer the total amount at once.

The account number for conference fee and more details will be given later.

Organizers prepared rooms for participants of the conference in Centrum Szkoleniowo-Konferencyjne UL on the Kopcinskiego street 26 (in the center of Lodz)

Please make bookings and pay for accommodation on your own.

Centrum Szkoleniowo-Konferencyjne UŁ

http://www.csk.uni.lodz.pl/

ul. Kopcińskiego 16/18
90-232 Łódź
Recepcja / Rezerwacja:
tel. (48 42) 635-54-90
fax (48 42) 635-54-60
cskul@uni.lodz.pl