ue2008.fr - Literary criticism and European literature

Literary criticism and European literature

from: 02.10.2008
to: 04.10.2008
In: Maison de l'Université Campus de Mulhouse

Issues and challenges

European literature

agenda

October 2nd, 3rd and 4th, 2008

Practical

Maison de l'Université, Mulhouse campus

Instead of only focusing on national production, how can we not want - and cause young readers to want - to get to know, through good translations, the work of Dostoyevsky, Kafka, Pirandello, Joyce and so many others? Whereas this promising ambition has its supporters, particularly through a recently published work, "Lettres Européennes / Manuel d'histoire de la littérature européenne" (European literature / History manual for European literature) edited by Annick Dusausoy-Benoit and Guy Fontaine (Brussels, De Boeck and Larcier, 2007), literary criticism meanwhile remains curiously slow to pick up on this cultural issue of major importance.

The objective of the study days in Mulhouse is to initiate deep reflection on the current state of literary criticism, by giving a platform to specialists from the academic, editorial and journalistic spheres, without forgetting teachers and librarians. Of course, the historical dimensions of literary criticism and its status will also be studied. But the principal objective will be to examine together how to consolidate the advantages of a deliberately European approach to literature and thereby breathe new life into literary criticism.