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Literary London 2009 Representations of London in Literature An Interdisciplinary Conference |
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School of English and Drama, Queen Mary, University of London 9-10th July 2009 |
Hosted by the School of English and Drama, Queen Mary, University of London
Organised by the University of Northampton, Kingston University, and Queen Mary, University of London
Keynote Speakers and Creative Writers
Rachel Lichtenstein, author of On Brick Lane and Rodinsky’s Room
Professor Scott McCracken (Keele, English)
Professor Miles Ogborn (QMUL, Geography)
Queen Mary, University of London
The 8th Annual Literary London conference will be hosted by the School of
English and Drama, , located in Mile End, at the
heart of London’s East End. The Mile End campus is historically the home of
Queen Mary College, which began life in 1887 as the People’s Palace, a
philanthropic endeavour to provide east Londoners with education and social
activities. In 1995 it merged with Westfield College, which was founded in 1882
as a pioneering college for the higher education of women. English studies
commenced in 1905, and the Queen Mary English department was founded in 1911
with the appointment of the writer Hilaire Belloc. Today the Department of
English is the largest in London, and remains committed to world-class research
and teaching. It has recently launched a new interdisciplinary MA in London
Studies.
Travel
The campus is easily reached on the Underground using the Central, Hammersmith &
City, and District lines to Mile End Station (in Zone Two; c.15 minutes to
central London).
Aim of the Conference
London is one of the world's major cities with a long and rich literary
tradition reflecting both its diversity and its significance as a cultural and
commercial centre. Literary London 2008 aims to:
• Read literary and dramatic texts in their historical and social context and in
relation to theoretical approaches to the study of the metropolis.
• Investigate the changing cultural and historical geography of London.
• Consider the social, political, and spiritual fears, hopes, and perceptions
that have inspired representations of London.
• Trace different traditions of representing London and examine how the
pluralism of London society is reflected in London literature.
• Celebrate the contribution London and Londoners have made to English
literature and drama.
Submission of proposals for papers and panels
Proposals are invited for 20-minute papers which consider any period or genre of
English literature about, set in, inspired by, or alluding to central and
suburban London and its environs, from the city’s roots in pre-classical times
to the present day. While the main focus of the conference will be on literary
texts, we actively encourage interdisciplinary contributions relating film,
architecture, geography, theories of urban space, etc., to literary
representations of London.
Papers from postgraduate students are welcome for consideration.
While proposals on all topics are encouraged, this year we would
especially welcome paper or panel proposals on the theme of ‘Urban Geographies’.
Topics that might be addressed are:
• relationships between the disciplines of geography and literary studies, or
more generally between words and spaces
• representations of the city, the country, the exotic
• metaphors of geography in literary studies: ‘mapping’, ‘cartography’, ‘space’
• theories of the urban, of town planning, of cityscape, as ‘text’
• particular places, spaces, and the texts they engender
• the geomorphology of London and its literature
• ecological criticism, landscape ecology, climate change, geology, cartography,
geomatics, tourism, demography.
• migration studies
• urban spaces and postmodern theory, psychogeography
• the geography of London’s print culture
• the city as landscape, the landscapes of the city
Abstracts of 200 words for 20-minute papers by Friday 27 March 2009 to:
contact@literarylondon.org.
Proposals for comprised panels of three speakers are also welcome.
Organising Committee
Literary London Organising Committee: Dr Lawrence Phillips (University of
Northampton), Dr Brycchan Carey (Kingston University), and Professor Markman
Ellis (Queen Mary, University of London).
Web site
www.literarylondon.org
The Annual Literary London conference is mutually supportive of the e-journal of
the same name.