The Narrative Research Group, based in the Media School, will be hosting their second symposium at the Executive Business Centre on Wednesday 27 April. The theme of the symposium is ‘Non-human Narratives’. Nonhumans feature in multiple narratives, from myth and fable to wildlife photography and documentary, children’s literature, cartoons and comics. They can act as metaphors, take on human characteristics, or inform our understanding of the Other. The symposium will use analyses of representations of the nonhuman to question assumptions about human superiority and to explore alternative means of narrating the lived experiences of creatures or entities whose composition differs from our own.

The symposium’s keynote speaker, Professor David Herman of Ohio State University, will be talking about ‘Stories, Minds, and Media: Nonhuman Experiences in Graphic Narratives’. Other papers will focus on inhuman narratives (including representations of monsters and serial killers), animals in the movies, issues surrounding environmental and technological change, and the activities of fans of the nonhuman. Members of the Narrative Research Group will be exhibiting their work and running workshops throughout the day.

For more information contact Bronwen Thomas (bthomas@bournemouth.ac.uk) or Julia Round (jround@bournemouth.ac.uk)