Interdisplinary Workshop: Arab Women Writers in Diaspora: Horizons of Dialogue
10 December 2009
University of Manchester, CASAW
The number of Arab women writers narrating experiences of diaspora in the Western world has been increasing dramatically over the last few years. Conversely, the academic response to issues of diaspora in Arab literature has been overlooked despite the rising interest in gender, class and ethnicity as fields of study. Furthermore, very few conferences, seminars and workshops have been held on this topic in the UK. The last major conference in the UK was held at The University of Kent at Canterbury in 1999 under the title “Inscriptions of Identities in the Discourse of Arab Women”. Another conference will be held at the University of Nizwa, Oman, December 12-15, 2009 under the title “Mapping Emergent Arab and Muslim Literatures in English”.
This interdisciplinary event is expected to be platform for exchanging ideas on some of the political and literary challenges facing Arab women writers in diaspora, especially in the UK. Nevertheless, papers on Arab women writers living in Europe and the US will make a significant contribution to the seminar. The workshop is about the cultural horizons of dialogue, of which Arab women writers in diaspora are pioneers.
Confirmed keynote speakers:
- Fadia Faqir
- Ghada Karmi
Contributions will take the form of presentations by each keynote speaker and response style discussions, amongst others. Paper presentations will consist of two panels of 6 x 20 minute postgraduate papers.
The seminar will give the future scholars a rare opportunity to be introduced to the established scholars and exchange ideas of mutual interest. Through the discussion sessions, the workshop is expected to raise the following ideas/questions:
- In what way(s) is the experience of Arab women writers in diaspora different from their peers in the Middle East
- Who mediates the representation of Arab women?
- How Arab women writers in diaspora are received by Arabic speaking audience/critics?
- Does writing in a foreign language give the author the liberty to explore taboos in the homeland?
- The representation of daily social, political and religious matters and how they influence/inform Arab women in diaspora.
- Hybridity, influence and intertextuality: Do Arab women writers draw on both Western and Arabic/Islamic heritage/tradition?
- Arab women writers in the ethnic borderland: Are Arab women writers in diaspora interested in opening corridors of talks with other marginalized groups in the West?
For further information please visit the workshop website.
