[ecrea] Panel Call for Papers IALJS-13

*IALJS-13, Vienna, 17-19 May 2018*

*Panel Call for Papers: Literary journalism in an age of populist 
nationalism*

The rise of populist nationalism in the world is a matter of concern for 
many scholars as citizens. This panel seeks to explore whether and how 
it concerns us, specifically, as scholars of literary journalism.

By populist nationalism the panel has in mind developments such as the 
election of Donald Trump and revival of white nationalism in the US; the 
UK referendum vote to leave the EU; moves by Polish and Hungarian 
governments to control cultural organisations; the list is not 
exhaustive and includes movements that identify as left as well as 
right. In all cases one encounters historical revisionism, the 
undermining of legal norms, and alliances with other authoritarian and 
populist regimes.

A working hypothesis is that such events poses a specific challenge to 
the core projects of literary journalism or reportage which are to 1) 
negotiate a scrupulous relationship with truth claims; 2) make room for 
complexity in accounts of human motive; and 3) resist sentimentality and 
myth in acknowledgements of subjectivity. The /Columbia Journalism 
Review/ makes an explicit link in a December 2016 article, ‘In a time of 
many questions, literary journalism provides an answer’.

<https://www.cjr.org/special_report/literary_journalism_trump_president.php

In a time of many questions, literary journalism provides ... 
<https://www.cjr.org/special_report/literary_journalism_trump_president.php>
www.cjr.org
In a time of many questions, literary journalism provides an answer. 
Media in the Age of Trump. By Lee Siegel December 5, 2016 ...


>

The study of literary journalism to date has included examination of how 
it has met the challenge of totalising authority in the past. From that, 
we have drawn theoretical lessons that enrich our understanding of the 
genre overall. The working hypothesis of this panel is that those 
lessons are /not so theoretical any more/, and not in the past.

The panel for IALJS-13 might consider (but is not restricted to) topics 
such as:

  * The insights that literary journalism might bring to an
    understanding of populist nationalism.
  * The role literary journalism plays now, compared to previous periods
    of social upheaval, with examples such as the New Journalism (in the
    US) or twentieth century reportage (Europe) in mind. What has
    changed, and to what effect?
  * In the former Soviet bloc, specifically, have past traditions in
    literary journalism influenced current practice? If so, how so?
  * A consideration of the ways in which literary journalism/reportage
    relates to other literary strategies adopted against totalising
    authority, now or in the past: for example the absurdist theatre of
    Havel and Ionesco.
  * What stances towards literary journalism can be detected in
    countries such as Russia and China which are a) perceived by other
    countries in their respective regions as imperial powers, and b)
    places where examination of the genre has not yet been prominent?
  * What place does social media and multimedia have in contributing to
    a literary journalism that examines nationalism and populism? In
    what way might those media make the job more difficult?
  * What exemplars of literary journalism are being produced now, which
    address the topics outlined here?

Please send me a short description (50-100 words) of your proposed 
subject plus your name, affiliation and e-mail address, no later than 
*November 13, 2017*.

*NB**Pre-deadline enquiries are welcome*.

//

/Dr Susan L. Greenberg, University of Roehampton, 
//(s.greenberg /at/ roehampton.ac.uk)/ <mailto:(s.greenberg /at/ roehampton.ac.uk)>//


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