1224678 Time and Difference in Comparative World Literary History
Organizer(s):
Haun Saussy (Comparative Literature, University of Chicago)
Karen-Margrethe Simonsen (Comparative Literature, Aarhus University)
For more than a hundred years, Western
historicism has been criticized severely as being Eurocentric, too focused on
nationhood, teleological, etc. During the 20th Century, we witnessed
a spatial turn that seemed to be more open to different developments. We also saw
many experiments with episodic, multiple, or non-continuous history (e.g., Hollier,
Gumbrecht, Cornis-Pope and Neubauer). At the same time, a new awareness of
world literature put pressure on the genre of historiography. Despite the
understanding of the need for more openness, it seemed difficult to include the
whole world’s literature into any known model of historiography.
First of all, it is evident
that different areas of the world have different histories, indeed different
temporalities, and thus that different concepts of periodization are needed
(cf. Zhang 53; Prendergast 6; Valdés, “Hacia una historia” 35). Can literary
history accommodate this range of variation? Indeed, world literature may be
too vast and too varied to be contained in one history. Some scholars have even
suggested that we should give up writing a true world literary history since it
would be immensely big and impossible to read (Damrosch, 2008). However, this
has not hindered experiments in the genre, for instance Studying Transcultural Literary History (ed. G. Lindberg-Wada,
2006), and a new world literary history which is under way under the auspices
of ICLA (ed. Zhang Longxi et al).
Yet historicization
goes on all the time and is the backbone of many different scholarly practices.
The question is not only how to write an all-encompassing world literary history;
it is also how to historicize on a minor level, when one contextualizes readings
and compares different literary traditions and genres.
In this panel we
invite an open discussion about possible models and practices of world literary
history in a global age. If the Western model of literary historiography
(including, its rationality, its focus on modernity, its concept of literature
etc.) does not hold for world literature, we have to ask the question: is there
another way of historicizing that fits world literature better? And how does
the perspective of world literature cause us to rethink the historicity of literature?
For instance, how can
a global literary history be rethought from the perspective of Africa, Asia or
South America? How will Western historiography be changed in light of
perspectives from other parts of the world? What are the consequences for periodization?
How restrictive is the concept of literature, and how do we study the travel of
genres and text forms across borders and periods? What hierarchy is there
between genres? How do we decide what decisive literary (or political) events
create the framework of literary histories? And why would we even want to write
literary history? What is the function of literary history in a global world?
Is it educational, political or ethical?
In the panel we invite
new approaches and reflections on world literary history, whether theoretical
or focusing on specific case studies.
List of possible topics include but are not limited to:
- - Practical and theoretical problems of writing world literary history
- - Contextualization at different levels
- - Transcultural perspectives on literary history
- - Periodization in light of world literature
- - Canonization in varied contexts
- - Comparative approaches to world literary history
- - Reading practices in light of world literary history
- - The concept of literature and development of genres across borders
- - Temporalization: scale, longue durée vs. micro histories
- - Epistemological frameworks: narrative vs. encyclopedic models, normative vs. factual
- - Problems of translation related to literary history
- - Multidirectional history writing
- - The political/ethical/educational function of (world) literary history
Abstracts
Abstracts of max. 300 words should be sent to Haun Saussy: hsaussy@uchicago.edu and Karen-Margrethe Simonsen: litkms@cc.au.dk before February 10, 2019. Please also register for this panel at the ICLA- homepage: http://icla2019.medmeeting.org/8045?lang=en
The panel will be Part
of XX11 Congress of the ICLA, Macao SAR, China, 2019.
Please see this homepage for details: http://icla2019.medmeeting.org/8045?lang=en