CfP: Durrell Library of Corfu: Borders and Borderlands. Corfu, Greece, 20-24 May 2020. Proposal deadline: 20th January 2020.

The Durrell Library of Corfuinvites submissions on the themes of

IDENTITY – MEANING – INCLUSION – EXCLUSION – DIFFERENCE

The vulnerability, mutability and even the existence of borders in politics, cultural identity, cybernetics, psychology and linguistics are increasingly under scrutiny. This symposium will convene experts in these fields on an island in the Balkans on the cusp of many histories, many identities, many futures.

The principal topics are:
— geographical borders, the nation-state
— psychological borders and identity — self and others
— sexual identity and transition
— the “writer-as-exile”
—  translation and linguistic boundaries

Confirmed Speakers:

— Diarmaid Ferriter (professor of history, University College, Dublin; author of The Border: The Legacy of a Century of Anglo-Irish Politics)

—  Christian Henderson (professor of Middle East Studies, University of Leiden)

— Kapka Kassabova (author of Border: a Journey to the Edge of Europe)

— Maria Todorova (professor of history, University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign; author of Imagining the Balkans)

Borders are spatial, conceptual, spiritual and psychological; they shape the dynamics of identity, community, and governance. As a construct of history, psychology, law and politics, borders give rise to concepts of transition and rites of passage

This symposium provides an opportunity to discuss the context of the UK-Irish border and Brexit, the Greek-Turkish land and sea borders and the refugee crisis, and the US-Mexico border issue.

We anticipate that participants will address a spectrum of topics exploring the phenomenon of borders, borderlands and border-crossings in narrative works, film and social theory to understand the relationships between time, space and knowledge, self-development and political and social institutions.

The symposium dates include 21 May, the anniversary of “enosis”, when the Ionian Parliament voted in 1864 to undertake a border-crossing by joining the state of Greece; participants will have the opportunity to witness the traditional celebrations of this historic transitus

We welcome submissions of 20-30 minutes’ duration (2000-3000 words)

Proposals (one page, supported by a CV), should reach us no later than 2 January 2020.

The fee for participation (including all symposium sessions, documentation and receptions, but exclusive of travel and accommodation) is €200 euros per person.

A discounted fee of €175  euros applies to all reservations before 28 February 2020.

Information: durrelllibrarycorfu@gmail.com / www.durrelllibrarycorfu.org