CALL FOR PAPERS

Venue: The University of Northampton, Avenue Campus, 6 St George's =
Avenue, Northampton NN2 6JD.=20

Tel: 01604 735500. Website: http://www.northampton.ac.uk/

Date: 4-5 November 2006 (i.e. 11.04.06-11.05.06)

Hosted by: The Centre for Contemporary Fiction and Narration in the =
English Department of The University of Northampton, and the editors of =
the Journal of Postcolonial Writing in association with the publishers, =
Taylor and Francis, and the UK Network for Modern Fiction Studies.
 =20
REROUTING THE POSTCOLONIAL

This two day conference marks the relaunch last year of the journal =
World Literature Written in English as the Journal of Postcolonial =
Studies. It will explore the rerouting and transformation of the field =
of postcolonial studies in response to new theories, texts and research =
questions, as well as the contemporary world situation.

We live today in an increasingly mobile world of global forces, =
accelerated flows of migration, exile and transnational movement which, =
according to Homi Bhabha, cause those 'genealogies of origin that lead =
to the claim for cultural supremacy and historical priority' to be =
contested. Diaspora theory draws attention to the fact that the paths =
or ROUTES open to people through increased migration, dislocation and =
relocation, even the temporary inhabiting of new spaces offered by =
cosmopolitan travel and tourism, contribute to a critique of ROOTS, of =
fixed origins and traditional identificatory structures such as family, =
society and nation.=20

This conference uses the roots/routes metaphor as a springboard for =
'REROUTING' the postcolonial, i.e. the early 21st century amplification =
and redirection of the discipline in order to encompass and address such =
tensions and their discursive fields of enquiry. Global capitalism, for =
example, which redefines culture as both production and commodification, =
 helps reroute the debate on eco-environmental issues through a new =
model of geopolitics. Postcolonial terminology and theory has already =
acquired the high ground when it comes to discourses on globalization, =
suggesting that postcolonialism can reshape itself to incorporate =
paradigm shifts and new theories. Symptomatic of such diversification is =
the second edition of The Postcolonial Studies Reader (eds. Ashcroft, =
Griffiths, and Tiffin), published more than ten years after the first, =
displaying a separate section on Race, and new sections on Diaspora, =
Globalization, the Environment, and the Sacred.=20
Some questions underpinning this conference are:=20

What REROUTINGS of the postcolonial occur due to accelerated movements =
of peoples, the theorizing of diaspora, transformed modes of production =
through the impact of global technologies, new paradigms such as the =
glocal, the reshaping of culture by globalization?=20
What is the effect of the current shift away from resistant and counter =
discourses and the politics of liberation and representation?=20
How is 'writing' the postcolonial, in areas such as pedagogy, genre and =
the canon, aesthetic and textual practices, changing in response to =
these developments?=20
=09
Some indicative topics are:

* the third world cosmopolitan versus/complementing theories of the =
indigenous

* diasporic theory and the transformation of existing postcolonial =
paradigms

* revisiting empire in an age of transnational migration

* new itineraries and iterations of modernity and post-modernity

* migration, exile and changing identities

* global travel, tourism and new geographies

* interrogations of the aesthetics of resistance

* cultural representations and reimaginings of social transformation

* the environment and eco-critical perspectives

* the postcolonial sacred and/or profane

* new and old spoken/written/visual media in a global age=20

* changing modes and practices in 'writing' and teaching the =
postcolonial=20

Queries: Janet.Wilson_at_northampton.ac.uk; or =
Fiona.Tolan_at_northampton.ac.uk

Abstracts: 200-300 words by 30 July 2006 to =
Janet.Wilson_at_northampton.ac.uk and Fiona.Tolan_at_northampton.ac.uk.=20
Please put 'Rerouting the Postcolonial' in the subject line of the email =
as abstracts will be sorted automatically. Early notification of =
acceptance may be requested if required for international speakers.
Conference Publication: Selected papers will be considered for =
publication in the conference proceedings.

Registration Fees:=20
Earlybird Rate: Prior to Friday 30 June 2006, =A365 (SIXTY FIVE POUNDS =
STERLING) full cost; =A335 (THIRTY FIVE POUNDS STERLNG) for students =
and unwaged;=20
After 30 June 2006: =A385 (EIGHTY FIVE POUNDS STERLING) full cost; =A345 =
(FORTY FIVE POUNDS STERLING) for students and unwaged;=20
At the door: =A3100 (ONE HUNDRED POUNDS STERLING); =A350 (FIFTY POUNDS =
STERLING), students and unwaged.=20

Payment: Send cheques (sterling only) or international money orders of =
equivalent amount payable to The University of Northampton.
Please send to Chris Woolmore, School of the Arts, The University of =
Northampton, Avenue Campus, St George's Avenue, Northampton, NN2 6JD.=20
N.B. The cost of accommodation, entertainments and dinners will be =
additional.
 =20
Contacts:=20

Convenor: Dr Janet Wilson, Editor, Journal of Postcolonial Writing, =
Reader, School of the Arts, University of Northampton;
Coordinators: Dr Fiona Tolan (Fiona.Tolan_at_northampton.ac.uk); Ms Alison =
Struselis (Alison.Struselis_at_northampton.ac.uk), School of the Arts, The =
University of Northampton, Avenue Campus, Northampton NN26JD, UK.=20
=20
UK Network for Modern Fiction Studies website: =
http://www.uk-fiction-network.org/
=20
=20

Dr Janet Wilson
Editor, Journal of Postcolonial Writing
Reader in English
School of the Arts=20
University College of Northampton
St George's Avenue
Northampton NN2 6JD
UK

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Received on Sat Jan 21 2006 - 13:50:33 EST