Littératures romani/ tsiganes.A challenge for Comparative Literature: The dynamics of Romani literatures and their many languages (ICLA, Wien, 2016)

Cet appel à communications s'inscrit dans le cadre d'une section du Congrès International de Littérature Comparée (AILC/ ICLA juillet 2016, Vienne)

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The last twenty years have seen a distinct increase in the scientific engagement with the arts of Roma. In the field of literary works we can therefore speak of the establishment of a small field of Studies of Romani Literature. However, as the dispersal of Roma across Europe and the whole world has led to a wide range of different literary forms in different languages, most of the approaches – for the lack of translation and the language barrier – focus on one single national context or take into consideration one language. The aim of the encounter lies therefore in discussing different theoretical approaches as much as in comparing findings at national level in order to develop the comparative perspective on a broad level. The aim is to meet the challenge of developing a multi-perspective view on the variety of Romani Literatures and their many (poetical) languages.

Two different axes may inspire the discussions: the Cultural Studies perspective and the literary aesthetical perspective.

Points of discussion from the Cultural studies perspective Language(s) and identity/alterity:

 - Representation of language(s): multilingualism vs. monolingualism

- Political language(s) and language(s) as a political means -

Tension of individual and collective voice(s)

- Recognition as an autonomous literary current (may Romani Literatures become “host nation” of book fairs such as Leipziger or Frankfurter Buchmesse?)

Language and medium:

 - Persistence/transfer of oral structures in the written form or vice versa?

- References to other artistic “languages” like visual arts, dance and music?

Points of discussion from the Literary Studies perspective

Narratology:

- Is there a narrative language of the Roma in form of independent shapes of narratives that can be traced in all Romani literatures?

Poetics:

- Can we trace specific metaphoras?

- Which range of genres can we find?

- Are there intertextual references to other poetic languages?

Please send us in a mail your abstract till the 31st of August 2015:cecilekova@yahoo.fr