International Workshop
Literary Theory from the Perspective of Japanese Literature
Memories, Evocations, Ghosts

September 9-11, 2010
Tallinn University, Estonia

What can the field of Japanese literature offer in terms of critical theory? How can we approach Japanese literature as a “world literature”? Drawing from the wealth of approaches that have been applied to Japanese literary study inside and outside Japan, this workshop will consider how this area of study may contribute to other fields and how shared interests may be fostered with related fields.

Three themes will be used as springboards for discussion and debate: “memory,” “evocations,” and “ghosts.” The relationship between memory and writing, how narrative voice evokes the past, and the ghostly influence of history on the present are among the topics that will be examined over the course of panels and presentations.

Presenters or panels interested in joining the workshop are invited to send paper titles and abstracts of no more than 250 words by June 30 to Lauri Kitsnik at roori@tlu.ee. Individual presentations will be grouped into thematic panels by the organizers.

To encourage active discussion, by August 10, each presenter will be asked to submit, in Japanese or English, his or her paper and a series of key questions for consideration to be shared with participants. During the workshop, presenters will be asked to briefly explain the major themes and questions with which they grappled, followed by general discussion. Presentations will take place in English and Japanese with discussion primarily in English.

The workshop will open with a reading and reception on the evening of September 9, 2010, followed by two days of presentation and discussion, ending on September 11, 2010. The organizing committee consists of Kimura Saeko (Tsuda College), Lauri Kitsnik (Tallinn University), Rajyashree Pandey (Goldsmiths College, Tallinn University), and Rein Raud (Tallinn University).

We look forward to a productive session in Tallinn and to expanding and re-evaluating critical approaches to Japanese literature.