English Research Seminar

Dr Barry Lewis (Sunderland University) will conclude this semester's series of English research seminars on Wednesday 4th December at 5pm with a talk entitled '"Song is the Magic Cape": Thomas Pynchon's Influence on Popular Music'. Staff and students from all faculties are welcome. The venue is Priestman 313.

Postcolonialism and Islam

Current and past academics from the English and History teams in the Department of Culture have published Postcolonialism and Islam: Theory, Literature, Culture, Society and Film (Routledge, 2013). The book, which had its origins in a conference held at the University of Sunderland in 2010, is edited by Drs Geoff Nash, Kath Kerr-Koch and Sarah Hackett (Bath Spa University).

The essays in the collection examine, question and broaden the applicability of Postcolonialism and Islam from a multifaceted and cross-disciplinary perspective.

The First World War and its Global Legacies: Keynotes announced and final call for papers

Indian soldiers on the Fricourt-Mametz Road
(Imperial War Museum)

The organizers of The First World War and its Global Legacies are pleased to announced the keynote speakers:

• Kate Adie (former BBC Journalist)
• Maggie Andrews (University of Worcester)
• Sarah Gamble (Swansea University) 
• Martin Hurcombe (University of Bristol)
• Tim Kirk (Newcastle University)
• Angela Smith (University of Sunderland)

Further details about the conference, which will be held at the University of Sunderland on the 5th-7th April 2014, can be found here.

If you wish to contribute a paper please submit a proposal (maximum 300 words) to

Dr Kathleen Kerr-Koch (kath.kerr@sunderland.ac.uk) or 

Dr Angela Smith (angela.smith@sunderland.ac.uk)

Faculty of Education and Society

Priestman Building

Green Terrace

Sunderland

SR1 3PZ

Proposals should be submitted no later than December 1st, 2013.

Conference website

Fritz Wefelmeyer on Botho Strauß

Dr Fritz Wefelmeyer has published an article on the German playwright Botho Strauß in the journal Pandaemonium Germanicum. Fritz considers the way in which the social theories and world views originally followed by Strauß have - according to Strauß himself - led to a longing for transcendence in the wrong direction, ignoring the true significance of technology. However, Fritz argues that Strauß’ own analysis, which incorporates insights from the natural sciences in particular, fails to take adequate account of creative activity. The article then explores another perspective emerging from Strauß’ representation of the state of unhappy consciousness of the modern individual and the various attempts made to transcend this. Finally, Strauß’ own attempt to achieve transcendence through art is critically examined.

Fritz Wefelmeyer (2013). Die Sehnsucht nach Transzendenz Zu ihrer Bedeutung im Werk von Botho Strauß. Pandaemonium Germanicum. Vol. 16, No. 21, pp. 1-24.

Geoff Nash on Ameen Rihani

Ameen Rihani
(Source: Wikipedia)

The Lebanese-American writer Ameen Rihani (1876-1940) - widely regarded as the father of the Arab novel in English - is the subject of a recently published essay by Dr Geoff Nash, who argues that Rihani was a modern figure who manoeuvred his way between the gaps of fixed western and Arab identities.

Geoff's chapter is called 'Beyond Orientalism: Khalid, the Secular City, and the Transcultural Self' and it appears in The Edinburgh Companion to the Arab Novel in English: The Politics of Anglo Arab and Arab American Literature and Culture (Edinburgh University Press, 2013).

English Research Seminar

Dr Helen Freshwater

Dr Helen Freshwater will be the speaker at the English Research Seminar on Wednesday 6th November (Priestman 313, 5pm). Helen is Reader in Theatre and Performance at Newcastle University, and her research focuses on twentieth century British theatre and contemporary performance. She is currently working on a Leverhulme funded project which explores the representation of children and childhood in contemporary British theatre. The title of her talk is 'Consuming Childhoods: Work, Pleasure and the Performing child'.