Presentation

"Who's afraid of Gender Studies? Issues and Methodologies of Gender Studies in Literature" (FR*: "Qui a peur des Gender Studies ? Enjeux et méthodes des études de genre en littérature") was a two-day doctoral seminar that proposed to reflect on the epistemologies and methodologies that are specific to the study of literature through the gender lens, as well as to promote the knowledge productions that emerge from this field. The first day (at ULB) started with an inaugural lecture, followed by three discussion panels. These ‘roundtables’ explored literature and gender through three thematic angles: the histories of women and sexualities (1), postcolonial and diasporic studies (2), and queer theory (3). 

During the second roundtable (entitled “Mapping the Crossroads: Gender, Race and Postcolonial Literature”), Jossfinn Bohn (ULB) and Bastien Bomans (CEREP member – ULiège) moderated the exchanges (in English) between the audience and three speakers: Sulaiman Addonia (Eritrean-Ethiopian-British novelist), Véronique Bragard (Professor at UCLouvain), and Coraline Jortay (Postdoctoral Fellow at Oxford/The Queen's College). This panel was subdivided in two parts. The session started with the reading of an excerpt from Addonia’s Silence is my Mother Tongue, followed by a discussion with the author. Then, the discussion was extended with Pr Bragard and Dr Jortay, whose research interests include subaltern, intersectional and post/decolonial feminisms and literatures.

With its three workshops, the second day of the seminar (at ULiège) did not only allow the participants to reflect on the role that literature plays in the deconstruction of gender stereotypes, but it also invited them to reflect on their own research activities and practices.

Programme    

The full programme (in French) and the registration form are available via this link.

Any questions can be addressed to Jossfinn Bohn (jossfinn.bohn@ulb.be) and Bastien Bomans (bbomans@uliege.be).

Co-organizers of the seminar

PhD students: Jossfinn Bohn (ULB), Bastien Bomans (ULiège), Nicolas Duriau (ULB), Siân Lucca (ULiège), Stéphanie Peel (ULB), Marie Viérin (ULiège).

Academic representatives: Laurence Brogniez (ULB) and Bénédicte Ledent (ULiège).

This event was organized as part of the doctoral school “Languages, Literature and Translation Studies” (ED3bis/F.R.S.-FNRS) and co-supported by CEREP.

*Event in French and in English.