CfP: ‘Traversing beyond Borders: Intermediality and Cross-Cultural Communication’

This one-day PGR conference (funded by a IAS Critical Area Studies small grant) aims to showcase the research of PGR students from various fields whose work is relevant to the discourse of either ‘intermediality’ or ‘cross-cultural communication’. We will not only explore the interaction between different cultures and languages in world literature, but also discuss the intersection between different forms of media, such as poetry and visual arts, music and literature, especially the artist creations whose inspiration is connected to literary works. The conference also plans to invite artists to participate as panellists and workshop leaders in the spirit of encouraging the collaboration between academia and creative industries.

We are enormously delighted to announce that we have invited London-based Turkish artist Merve İşeri to be our keynote speaker, whose creation is based on the unique understanding of immigration, displacement of identity, cross-cultural experience, and memory. For more information about İşeri’s works, please see her website: https://www.merveiseri.com/

We invite abstracts on the following themes, but are not limited to:

• Intermediality between visual art, literature, music, film, and beyond.
• Dialogues between different languages, cultures, and religions.
• Marginalised narratives in histories and memories.
• Representation of travel, exile and homecoming.
• Literature and science.
• Migration and diaspora studies.
• The afterlife of literature. Adaptation, translation and publication studies.

Abstracts should be 250-300 words. Please send abstracts, along with a short bio (around 100 words, including name, email address, academic affiliation, research background) to traversingbeyondborders2024@gmail.com by 5pm Monday 22 April, 2024. Notification of acceptance will be sent by 3rd May, 2024.

Possible formats may include:

• 15-20 minutes paper presentations.
• 5 minutes lightning talks.
• Proposals of a full panel session (the bio must include the details of all panellists)
• Theatrical and musical performances.
• Poetry reading and spoken word performances.
• Collaborate workshops.

Our event will be supplied by full-day catering and a wine reception in the end. If you have any questions, please contact Serena Qihui Pei (UCL) and Gefan Wang (KCL) at traversingbeyondborders2024@gmail.com

Image credit: ‘Sev Kardesim’* (love, sister and brother) by Merve İşeri (2021). Oil, pastel, acrylic, and pigment spray paint on canvas. * The painting’s title alludes to the song of the same name by Turkish singer Şenay.