CFP

Call for Papers

The 1st International Conference on German and Russian Transcultural Film and Literature

University of Eastern Finland, Joensuu (FI)

8-9 June, 2021

 

We are pleased to announce the first call for papers for the 1st International Conference on German and Russian Transcultural Film and Literature! The conference is organized jointly by the Department of German Language and Culture and the Department of Russian Language and Culture at the University of Eastern Finland, and will be organized virtually via Zoom on 8-9 June, 2021.

The 1st International Conference on German and Russian Transcultural Film and Literature aims to bring together leading academic researchers, research scholars and scientists to exchange and share their experiences and research results on all aspects of German and Russian transcultural film and literature. The conference will also provide an interdisciplinary platform for researchers, practitioners and educators to present and discuss the most recent innovations, trends, and concerns in the field of transculturality in German and Russian cultural productions.

Cultural productions, such as film and literature, are often shaped by contributions from abroad as we live in a time of migration(s) and crossing borders. This phenomenon is not new; it has been around ever since humankind has existed. Foreign narratives have inspired national narratives in the same way that films offer homage to films from other countries and times. Post-Colonial Studies, and more specifically, Post-Colonial Literary Studies, have paved the way to a greater understanding and recognition of the life and works of authors who publish abroad, often in languages other than their native language(s).

This conference seeks to explore the different shapes of transculturality in film and literature, with a special focus on German and Russian contributions to these cultural productions. How are topics, such as migration and identity, dealt with in the works by German and/or Russian writers who live abroad? In which ways are national stereotypes constructed and deconstructed in literary works and film/television productions? Which aspects of transculturality (or inter-culturality/multiculturality) can be detected in literature and film, and how are they (re-)presented?

Keynote lectures to be delivered by:                                                            

Professor Jopi Nyman (University of Eastern Finland, Professor of English Language and Culture, 1st Vice Dean)

Professor Guido Rings (Anglia Ruskin University, Cambridge, Professor Emeritus of Postcolonial Studies)

Dr Julie Hansen (Uppsala University, Associate Professor of Slavic Languages, specializing in  Slavic literatures and comparative literature)

Papers are invited on topics related, but not limited, to:

  • Transcultural literature published by Russian and/or German authors who live abroad/who have strong links to a country other than their home country.
  • Film and media studies, e.g. the portrayal of Germany/Germans, and/or the portrayal of Russia/Russians in film and media; the portrayal of the host country in contrast to the author’s home country.
  • Migration and identity discourse in literature and film with a particular focus on German and Russian migration, from the Middle Ages up to the 21st century.

Please send a 250-500 word abstract along with a brief biographical statement via e-mail to BOTH organizers of the conference. Proposals/Abstracts may be submitted as either a Word or PDF document. All presentations, regardless of format, must be delivered in person (i.e. no pre-recorded presentations), and be underpinned by original research (being) conducted by the presenter. Multiple presenters for co-written papers are allowed. Conference presentations are to last 20 minutes total, with a maximum presentation length of 15 minutes, followed by a minimum of 5 minutes for discussion. The conference will be conducted entirely in English, i.e. keynote lectures, session presentations and discussions will be conducted only in English.

The organizers will explore the possibility of putting together an edited volume of selected papers.

Deadline for abstract submissions: 1 July 2020.

Organizers:

Professor Alexandra Simon-López (alexandra.simon-lopez@uef.fi) and

Associate Professor Marja Sorvari (marja.sorvari@uef.fi)

 

Selected participants will be notified by 1 October 2020.

We look forward to seeing you on-line!

 

Yours sincerely,

Dr Alexandra Simon-López (Professor of German Language and Culture) and

Dr Marja Sorvari (Associate Professor of Russian Language and Culture)