The fate of the author in the twentieth-century literature and literary criticism is as complex as it is fascinating. Entwined closely with that of the subject, whose capital punishment was pronounced by Ernst Mach in his famous “das Ich ist unrettbar”, the path of the author as the sole carrier of meaning in a literary text led finally to his death at the hands of the structuralists, only to direct him back to life in the disillusioning post-modern play. And yet, whatever his position within a text may be, the existence of the author, of the person creating a literary work, is undeniable, even though this presence might not be admitted, remaining merely a spectral manifestation. It is these specters, as well as other forms of authorial presence in literature and literary theory, we would like to focus on during our seminar.

We invite papers to one of the following panels:
(Auto)biography
Disillusion
Inscription
Return of the author?

The full papers will be shared on our website before the seminar and discussed during the panels by their authors. There will be no possibility of otherwise presenting the papers.

Submissions should include the paper title; the delegate’s name, address and email; a summary of the proposed paper (300 words); and a short bio (100 words). Also, please indicate in which discussion panel you would like to participate. Please send submissions by 22nd February 2013 to spectersoftheauthor@gmail.com. The conference fee is 150 PLN and includes conference materials, coffee breaks, lunch, and costs of publication.

For more information visit our website: http://spectersoftheauthor.wordpress.com/