The Austrian contribution to modern German-language literature has been both
rich and varied, embracing major novelists (Kafka, Musil), dramatists
(Schnitzler, Bernhard), and poets (Rilke, Celan) of international repute.
The Ingeborg Bachmann Centre, established at the Institute of Germanic
Studies in London in 2002 with the support of the Erste Bank, the
Österreichische Nationalbank, the Österreich Kooperation, and the Austrian
Cultural Forum, London, seeks to explore this contribution with
writers-in-residence and through a programme of lectures, seminars,
workshops and reading groups co-ordinated by an Austrian Lektor.
The outcome of an innovative form of cross-institutional co-operation, this
exciting academic initiative concentrates on Austrian literature of the
twentieth century, focusing above all on developments from 1945 onwards and
taking as its figurehead Ingeborg Bachmann, whose poem 'Abschied von
England' encapsulates the challenge presented by other cultures and the
difficulty of comprehending them.
For further information contact: Dr Martin Liebscher, Centre Co-Ordinator,
Institute of Germanic Studies, 29 Russell Square, GB-London WC1B 5DP.
Telephone: +44 (0)20- 7862 8959. E-mail: [log in to unmask]
PROGRAMME 2003-2004
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CONFERENCE
Stifter and Modernism
Wednesday, 10 - Friday, 12 December 2003
Co-Ordinators: Dr Helena Ragg-Kirkby (Leeds) and
Professor Martin Swales (London)
As a proponent of a specific aesthetic and moral order, Adalbert Stifter has
long been regarded as a natural heir to the Great Classical Tradition. Yet
even critics persuaded of this view have often detected troubling sub-texts
within his fiction. More recently, some commentators have seen him as an
important precursor of modern writing (from Kafka to Bernhard and Sebald).
In any event, the extraordinary stylistic provocation of his work has lost
none of its power to challenge and unsettle the reader. The first Stifter
event of note to be held in this country for almost twenty years, the
conference aims to contribute to a major re-evaluation of the author's work
as we approach the bicentenary of his birth.
A detailed programme is now available from the Institute <[log in to unmask]>.
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WRITER-IN-RESIDENCE
Evelyn Schlag, one of Austria's most prolific contemporary writers, follows
Walter Grond and Wolfgang Hermann as the Centre's Writer-in-Residence in
spring 2004, her stay coinciding with the publication of a new volume of
poetry. Schlag's novels, short stories and poetry show a strong affinity
with English literature and culture, and have been highly praised for the
characteristic verbal sensitivity. She has also translated Douglas Dunn's
Elegies into German.
On 5 March 2004 Evelyn Schlag will read extracts from her latest novel, "Das
L in Laura", and selected poems.
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WORKSHOP
Robert Musil. From Construction to Fragmentation of Reality
Friday, 14 May 2004
Debate about the scope of modern science and the limitations of technical
progress played a significant role in Musil's intellectual development. An
engineer by training, and heavily influenced by both Mach's positivism and
Nietzsche's nihilism, Stifter's ambivalence towards science ranged from
Socratic optimism and the belief in the value of technological progress to
the almost indifferent acceptance of scientific advancement displayed in his
way of life.
A detailed programme will be available in March. The workshop complements
the Institute's Thursday evening lecture series 'Tales from the Laboratory'.
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WORKSHOP
Joseph Roth - Revisited or Reinvented?
The Reception of Roth's Works in Britain
Thursday, 10 June 2004
Critics claim, and an increasing number of new readers testify, that the
works of Joseph Roth are currently enjoying a remarkable renaissance,
particularly - and somewhat surprisingly - in the English-speaking world.
This workshop will examine the reasons for the recent rise in Roth's
populatity. Publishers, critics and scholars will discuss this phenomenon
and assess the impact of Roth on contemporary readers. The acclaimed writer,
Michael Hoffmann, will read from his translations of Roth's work.
Organised in collaboration with the London Jewish Cultural Centre, the
workshop will take place at the Institute of Germanic Studies; the reading
and reception will be held at the London Jewish Cultural Centre's new
premises at Ivy House in Hampstead.
A detailed programme will be available in March.
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READING GROUP
Robert Musil's "Der Mann ohne Eigenschaften"
FIRST MEETING
Wednesday, 8 October 2003, 3 - 5 p.m.
The reading group will continue to meet on a monthly basis under the
chairmanship of the Centre's Co-Ordinator, Dr Martin Liebscher, focusing
this year on the first part of Musil's novel, and discussing it in the light
of the author's understanding of science.
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INSTITUTE OF GERMANIC STUDIES
University of London School of Advanced Study
29 Russell Square, London WC1B 5DP
Tel: +44 (0)20- 7862 8965/6
Fax: +44 (0)20- 7862 8970
E-mail: [log in to unmask]
Website: http://www.sas.ac.uk/igs/
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