The Network

The International Network “Memoria y Narración” consists of an international and interdisciplinary group of researchers and was founded in November 2014 at the University of Aarhus. The network is composed of researchers from more than 35 European and American universities. It is coordinated by Juan Carlos Cruz Suárez (formerly Aarhus University, now University of Stockholm), Claudia Jünke (University of Innsbruck) and José María Izquierdo (University of Oslo). The Network originates in the research project “The Novelized Memory” directed by Hans Lauge Hansen (Aarhus University).

The Network “Memoria y Narración” is focused on memory processes, particularly on the memory of past violence and violations of human rights, in Spain and Latin America, as the Spanish-speaking countries suffered various oppressive dictatorships during the twentieth century. This is due to a number of widely studied political circumstances and, in some way, a characterizing feature of the way in which these countries underwent processes of modernization, democratization and economic development. As the 2018 conference will be hosted by the Department of Romance Languages and Literatures of the University of Stockholm – an institution where Spanish is studied together with Portuguese, Italian and French – we wish to establish, on this occasion, a dialogue with memory discourses and memory studies related to other Romance languages and cultural contexts.

The 2018 Conference

The aim of the 2018 congress at the University of Stockholm is to explore the ways in which contemporary cultures face their violent pasts through the production of all types of cultural products. Memory plays a fundamental role in this regard, since its high degree of reflexivity leads to the encounter with the past and provides interpretations of events that can facilitate processes of recognition, justice or reconciliation. Moreover, we also invite analysis and reflections on migratory processes in the configuration of local memories, especially in countries with a high degree of immigration.

We want to gather researchers in order to debate new methodologies, theories and possible ways to interpret, analyze and criticize cultural memory works in literature and the arts from a comparative point of view across different languages and disciplines. In confronting the violent past and the cultural product itself, we may observe how cultural identities could potentially be re-configured and expressed in the present. This fact allows a glimpse into each analyzed socio-cultural context in order to highlight the differences between each memory process and, at the same time, the concordances between the different societies studied. The conference aims at investigating the relationship, interdependence, similarities and differences of processes of remembrance in different cultures and how these are portrayed in literary and artistic expressions.

The congress will take place at the University of Stockholm on the 4th and 5th of June 2018. There will be two sessions on each day (morning and afternoon). During the first day, there will be lectures in English given by the keynote speakers. In the morning session of the second day, the participants will present their papers in parallel panels. Each panel consists of 6 presentations and their corresponding discussions. The language of each panel will correspond to the respective area of study, that is, English, Spanish, French, Portuguese and Italian.

Keynote speakers

Prof. Walther Bernecker, University of Erlangen-Nuremberg
Prof. Astrid Erll, University of Frankfurt am Main
Prof. Natan Sznaider, University of Tel Aviv

Submission of abstracts

The congress invites abstracts from junior and senior academics in English, Spanish, Portuguese, French and Italian. Submissions exploring any topic related to the study of memory and narration are welcome; however, submissions on the following themes are particularly encouraged:

• transnational memories in comparative perspectives
• global memory flows
• post-memories and narration
• memories in motion across disciplinary boundaries
• memories and migratory processes
• configuration of local memories in migration
• memory and processes of recognition, justice or reconciliation
• travelling memories across frontiers and languages
• memories as travelling testimonies
• collective and individual memories of migrant groups

Each presentation should last a maximum of 20 min. since there will be a question time after the presentations. Each submission must include: an abstract of no more than 250 words, 4 keywords, the speaker’s full name including title, position, contact details and institutional affiliation, as well as a short biography of about 150 words. Please note that the deadline for submissions is the 31st of January 2018. Submissions will not be accepted after the deadline. Multiple submissions will not be accepted. Abstracts should be sent to one of the following addresses: Juan.Cruz@su.se (Juan Carlos Cruz Suárez) or Azucena.Castro@su.se (Azucena Castro). Applicants will be notified via e-mail by the 1st of March. There will be no conference fee. In the e-mail confirming the acceptance of the abstracts we will send further information about accommodation in Stockholm and transport possibilities.

Further questions about the congress can be addressed to Azucena Castro (Azucena.castro@su.se)

Conference venue

Romanska och Klassiska Institutionen,
Stockholm University
Frescati campus, Universitetsvägen 10 B-C, plan 4 and 5
Stockholm, Sweden

Map:
https://www.google.se/maps/place/Institutionen+f%C3%B6r+franska,+italienska+och+klassiska+spr%C3%A5k/@59.3633307,18.0601134,15z/data=

Conference languages

English, Spanish, French, Portuguese and Italian

Organizing committee

Prof. Ken Benson, University of Stockholm
Azucena Castro, PhD candidate, University of Stockholm
Prof. Juan Carlos Cruz Suárez, University of Stockholm
Prof. José María Izquierdo, University of Oslo
Prof. Claudia Jünke, University of Innsbruck