cfp.english.upenn.edu

Transcultural Modernities: Narrating Africa in Europe

International Conference

Frankfurt University, Germany - June 1-3, 2006

Convenors:

Elisabeth Bekers (University of Antwerp, Belgium)

Sissy Helff (Goethe University Frankfurt am Main, Germany)

Daniela Merolla (University of Leiden, the Netherlands)

Whereas in recent years the creative output of Africans living in Europe
has received increasing interest from the media and in academia, little
critical attention has been paid to the manner in which the narrative
modes in these Euro-African works give expression to or are an
expression of their creators' transcultural realities. This conference
responds to this need for reflection by scrutinizing how creative work
explores issues such as home, migration, and diaspora, and how these
explorations in turn contribute to the emergence of specific modern
realities.

The conference aims to bring together researchers from different areas
such as cultural and literary studies, anthropology and narratology, for
an extensive interdisciplinary exchange. We invite papers focusing on
modes of narration in Euro-African literature, film and other media.
Questions concerning transculturality and postcolonial studies will
provide other major points of entry to our discussions. The focal points
of the conference will be:

* 'Tracing Euro-African Modernities - Of Asylum Seekers and
Cosmopolitans'

(addressing fieldwork and topics such as concepts of home, inclusionary
and exclusionary practices, social, cultural and political dimensions of
migration and diaspora)

* 'Modes of Narrating Africa in Europe'

(addressing topics such as unreliability, focalisation, orality,
contextualised and cognitive approaches in Euro-African fiction,
lifewriting, documentary, drama, etc.)

* 'Postcolonial and Transcultural Studies: Framing a Euro-African
Future'

(addressing topics such as authenticity, ethnicity, hybridity,
globalization and cultural production)

Confirmed keynote speakers:

Mieke Bal (University of Amsterdam)

raham Huggan (University of Leeds)

Frank Schulze-Engler (University of Frankfurt)

Nwachukwu Frank Ukadike (Tulane University)

In order to encourage intensive discussions at the conference, 3,000
word papers are requested by 1 April 2006 and will be compiled in a
reader and sent to all participants beforehand. At the conference
itself, participants are asked to briefly comment on the arguments they
develop in their papers and to elucidate their positions by responding
to the other papers.

This conference aims to provide a platform for cooperation between
academic institutions across Europe and the development of a European
Network for Euro-African Studies.

Enquiries and submissions (name, affiliation, title of contribution, and
abstract of no more than 200 words) should be addressed to the conveners
no later than 1 December 2005. Participants can expect a letter of
acceptance by the beginning of January.

elisabeth.bekers_at_ua.ac.be

helff_at_nelk.uni-frankfurt.de

D.Merolla_at_let.leidenuniv.nl

Conference webpage:
http://web.uni-frankfurt.de/fb10/ieas/abt/nelk/euro-afric/

Dr. Elisabeth Bekers

Faculteit Letteren & Wijsbegeerte

Postcolonial Literatures Research Group

University of Antwerp (Stadscampus)

Prinsstraat 13, BE-2000 Antwerpen, Belgium

tel. +32 3 220 42 74 - fax. +32 3 220 42 59

www.ua.ac.be/postcolonial

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Received on Sun Jul 03 2005 - 14:00:10 EDT