IASIL
Announcements and Reports
IASIL
2003 - DEBRECEN
The
2003 IASIL Conference took place at the University of Debrecen, Hungary
in July 2003.
Read
the conference report
View
Photos
Follow
the links below for photos from the conference – posted by Dawn Duncan,
Piaras MacEinri, Patrick Lonergan, Csilla Bertha and Donald Morse, and
Jacques Chuto.
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Report
on IASIL 2003 Conference
From 8-12
July, IASIL members from around the world gathered at the University
of Debrecen in Hungary for a conference focusing on “Getting Into Contact”
and the international connections the theme and its epigraph by Padraic
Pearse implies: “Irish literature, if it is to live and grow, must get
into contact on the one hand with its own past and on the other with
the mind of contemporary Europe.” Of course, our international scholars
went beyond Pearse’s vision into a 21st century that is truly global
in its connectedness. Some 96 scholars from 22 countries delivered papers
in culture and history, translation, drama, poetry, fiction and film.
Csilla Bertha and Donald Morse, conference organizers, should be congratulated
on hosting an outstanding conference full of particularly fine moments.
Some of
the outstanding conference events included a night of poetry with John
Montague and an evening of drama with Dermot Bolger. Additionally, fine
lectures were given by Anthony Roche in his keynote on “Synge, Brecht,
and the Hiberno-German Connection,” as well as the plenaries by Dáithi
Ó hÓgáin on “Poetry in Social Life—Survival in
Ireland of Old European Ideas,” Patricia Coughlin on “‘The fruit as
soft as air’: Irish Literature and Feminism in Postmodernity,” and Maureen
Murphy on “The Flowering of Field Day: Women’s Writing and Wild Geese.”
Heinz Kosok, a founding member of IASIL and longtime Executive Committee
officer, announced his retirement from the committee. IASIL members
voted to honor Heinz for his decades of energetic service to IASIL by
naming him an Honorary Life Member, only the third person honored as
such in our history.
Beyond
the engaging scholarly and creative presentations, the beauty of Debrecen,
the passion of Hungarian music in its many forms, and the kindness of
the Hungarian people also enchanted members. For many of us the pleasure
of learning and scholarly companionship continued as we toured Hungary
with our knowledgeable and congenial hosts. Of course, there were many
opportunities for fine food, drink and more music, and for exploring
significant sites and lovely landscapes. To say that the Hungarian experience
culminated on a mountaintop fits both the facts and the sensation. Hungary
and the conference will long remain fondly in our memories.
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