Linguistic Cartographies: Narratives of Displacement and Belonging Through Language Contact in Political Literature (University of Brighton)

Linguistic Cartographies: Narratives of Displacement and Belonging Through Language Contact in Political Literature

Dates: 27th and 28th May 2026

Location: University of Brighton, UK

Keynote with Professor Charlotte Bosseaux (University of Edinburgh) with a Screening and Q&A of Surviving Translation

Roundtable discussion with poets and translators Anna Błasiak, Maria Jastrzębska, and Piotr Florczyk

Political literature encapsulates and brings to light how the political permeates our everyday lives and situations, using a range of literary devices and genres as tools to share ideas and observations, thus actively taking part into shaping societies and individuals. As there are laws supporting some languages, there are laws constraining others. People(s) and languages have been moved across lands and maps, leading to a constant renegotiation of senses of belonging and identity. The topic of language contact in political literature can naturally underscore that harsh reality. At the same time, there are other areas where language plays either a more subtle role, or is used to illustrate situations that are made more visible through language. We are planning on structuring this event around two main themes:

➢ Finding the political in the mundane
➢ Language contact and the subject

We are interested in, but not limiting ourselves to the following questions:

• “minor”/endangered languages: contact and development of languages
• Language and gender: gender affirmation, fluidity, voices of representation, queering language(s)
• Citizenship, belonging and identity: heritage, intimacy, “famiolects”, estrangement
• Language in context: code-switching, choice of vocabulary, language acquisition and associated experiences
• Linguistic creativity: creative/“ludique” choices of code-switching and linguistic aesthetics
• Language exchange and dissemination, and politics of translation: rapport (or absence of) between writers and translators
   

This event will take place at the University of Brighton (UK), on Wednesday 27th and Thursday 28th May 2026.

The registration fee is £65.

There will be a dinner on the evening of the Wednesday.

Please send your abstract (300 words) and bio (100 words) to N.Kennedy@brighton.ac.uk and anna.bourges-celaries@umontreal.ca by Friday 13th March 2026.

All proposals will receive an answer by Monday 30th March 2026. Successful applicants will be notified on full registration shortly after acceptance.