cfp.english.upenn.edu

Call for Papers for a Critical Anthology

Exploring Gender Identities in the Literature of the Indian Diaspora

It is a truism in the new millennium that studies on gender in Indian diasporic literature have dramatically shifted. No longer are the angst-ridden expressions of being ‘marginal and other’ enough to reflect the changing realities of the numerous experiences of women and men of the Indian diaspora across the world. While hybridity has brought with it a sense of borderless existence that has enabled men as well as women to cross national boundaries of language and culture, this crossing is often accompanied by resultant clashes, both personal and familial. Central to the diaspora is the way in which gender identities are formed, with women negotiating traditional expectations and contemporary realities of the adopted land and other sexually marginalized people such as gays and lesbians coming to terms with themselves in ways not always welcomed in their immediate families.

In an attempt to understand and contextualize these tensions and emerging patterns, an anthology of critical and creative essays is being proposed.

Research Papers are invited from academics as well as creative writers, cinema enthusiasts as well as others involved with the Indian diaspora for a project entitled Exploring Gender Identities in the Literature of the Indian Diaspora. This critical collection is being reviewed by an international panel and will be published by a renowned and academic publishing firm.

This collection attempts to identify the tensions created by changing sexual roles and expectations as well as point to the way in which they are expressed in the literature and society of the Indian diaspora. By focusing on the way in which characters are being projected on the literary canvass by Indian writers of the diaspora, it aims to examine the central concerns that affect and influence the feminist and queer narrative. Using a variety of genres such as the novel, short stories, poetry, biography and autobiography, this collection will attempt to establish a central argument that will enable readers to see an emerging pattern in which issues of femininity and conflicting sexualities could be examined. This dynamic collection would make possible a multi-faceted approach to the central question of the way in which gender is being represented in literary works of the Indian diaspora.

Specifications:

• Articles must be approx. 5000 words and follow the MLA format. All academic conventions must be followed.
• Each paper will be peer reviewed and feedback given before final publication. Articles must include either a study on an established area of focus or indicate a new reading.
• All papers must be accompanied by an abstract of 200 words and keywords for easy reference.
• Articles must be submitted by February 1, 2013. Feedback will be given within two months and the collection published by December 2013.
• If there are any queries, please send an e-mail to genderdiaspora@gmail.com