ASTON UNIVERSITY
March 18th, 2005
One-day symposium
What is an avant-garde? An Austrian approach.
This symposium aims to investigate literary
responses to Austria's past from the 1940s onwards, focusing on what
has been called a "synchronicity" of an avant-garde and a
post-avant-garde movement in Austria. This phenomenon of a twofold
movement is due to the specific socio-historical conditions to be
found in pre- and post-war Austria. It has not yet been fully
discussed how these conditions have generally fostered a somewhat
"blurry" image of an Austrian avant-garde, as opposed to the
distinctly identifiable French avant-garde of the 1930s. The symposium
endeavours to contribute to the discussion on whether to categorize
Austrian writing of the 1950s and 60s as either "avant-garde",
"neo-realist", or chiefly politically motivated.
Papers are invited on:
- Different definitions of
"avant-garde" literature, especially socio-critical approaches to
the topic
- Austrian history of the 20th
century and its implications for modern Austrian literature
- Political and aesthetic
resistance by means of words/language
- Literature and
ideology
- The 18th century Austrian tradition of the
"Volkskomödie"/ "Volkstheater" (Nestroy a.o.) and its
influence on 20th century literature
Please send your one-page
abstract as an attachment until January 15th to Heide Kunzelmann
([log in to unmask]). If you have questions concerning
the symposium do not hesitate to contact me bey email or
phone.
--
Heide Kunzelmann, MA
Languages and Social Sciences
Aston University
Aston Triangle NW801
Birmingham
B4 7ET
phone: 0121-204-3763