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Institut Fran�ais de Londres, 18-19 juin 2009 Appel � contribution (version fran�aise) Longtemps capitales d�empires, Paris et Londres sont devenus aujourd�hui des m�tropoles � l��chelle plan�taire qui attirent expatri�s et migrants des anciennes colonies. Durant les d�cennies qui ont suivi la d�colonisation, les citoyens internationaux de l�empire d�autrefois ont converg� vers les deux villes. Ce mouvement des immigr�s qui se r�approprient le centre en changeant sa constitution d�mographique et culturelle, a �t� d�crit par la critique comme la � r�-invasion du centre � (Ball, 2004). Aujourd�hui, Paris et Londres renferment un � monde � transnational qui prend progressivement possession des deux capitales. Ce colloque se propose d��tudier la fa�on dont les deux m�tropoles sont v�cues et mises en fiction par les auteurs exog�nes, issus de la premi�re ou de la seconde g�n�ration de l�immigration, depuis les ann�es 1980 jusqu�� aujourd�hui. Adoptant une approche compar�e, nous souhaitons rassembler des sp�cialistes de la litt�rature anglophone et francophone contemporaines dans le but d�examiner l�imaginaire urbain postcolonial dans lequel Paris et Londres occupent une place importante. L�usage du terme �postcolonial� peut surprendre dans une perspective compar�e puisqu�il renvoie presque exclusivement � l�exp�rience coloniale britannique. Jusqu�� tr�s r�cemment, la th�orie postcoloniale a �t� consid�r�e en France comme un mod�le principalement anglo-saxon alors que les produits culturels ayant �merg� apr�s l�influence du colonialisme fran�ais ont �t� abord�s davantage par le biais des th�ories francophones (David Murphy and Charles Forsdick, 2003). N�anmoins, les ann�es 1990 et 2000 ont vu s�accro�tre en France un int�r�t g�n�ral pour la condition migrante dont t�moigne de fa�on �minente la manifestation culturelle ��tranger chez soi�, organis�e en automne 2006 par le mus�e du Louvre et la romanci�re afro-am�ricaine Toni Morrison. Comme l�affirme Morrison dans un entretien accord� � T�l�rama, l�objectif principal de l��v�nement �tait de proposer une r�flexion sur les notions de territoire, de migration, d�exil, de patrie, d�alt�rit� et d�appartenance dans un contexte de plus en plus globalis�. Dans le monde anglophone, l��criture du Londres postcolonial par des auteurs migrants repr�sentant l��cart entre le mod�le de la coh�sion nationale et la diversit� ethnique et culturelle de la m�tropole, a fait l�objet de nombreuses �tudes et tentatives de th�orisation (McLeod, 2004). En France, o� les derni�res ann�es ont vu para�tre une s�rie d��tudes consacr�es � l��criture de la diaspora, l�imaginaire urbain postcolonial a �t� explor� � travers des mouvements comme la g�n�ration �beur� (Laronde, 1993) et la diaspora afro-parisienne (Cazenave, 2003). Cependant, malgr� les parall�lismes �vidents entre les repr�sentations litt�raires d�un Londres et d�un Paris multiethniques et multiculturels, il y a peu d��tudes compar�es transcendant les fronti�res nationales, linguistiques et disciplinaires. Le but de ce colloque est de combler cette lacune en �tablissant un dialogue interculturel consacr� � l��criture contemporaine des deux m�tropoles. Nous proposons les axes d��tude suivants : 1) Comment l�espace urbain postcolonial est-il repr�sent�? L�imagerie postcoloniale de Londres et de Paris est un portrait composite qui �merge de la multitude des fictions narrant l�histoire des migrants qui ont pass� une partie de leur vie dans la m�tropole. Quelles sont les principales caract�ristiques de ces repr�sentations spatiales? Quelles similarit�s et diff�rences structurelles peuvent �tre distingu�es dans les �uvres parlant de Paris et de Londres ? 2) Comment la r�appropriation du centre par les auteurs exog�nes contribue � fa�onner l�identit� nationale? Situ�s � la crois�e de plusieurs territoires g�ographiques et intellectuels, les �crivains exog�nes occupent une place privil�gi�e qui leur permet de refa�onner des identit�s nationales et reformuler les canons litt�raires. Comment contribuent-ils � l��mergence de nouvelles identit�s, styles et mod�les litt�raires en France et en Grande-Bretagne? 3) Comment l�institution litt�raire nationale accueille les �crivains exog�nes en France et en Grande-Bretagne? Aujourd�hui, la pr�sence des voix venues d�ailleurs en France et en Grande-Bretagne devient de plus en plus �vidente, de m�me que leur impact sur les canons nationaux. Comment la modification progressive des relations centre-p�riph�ries dans un contexte mondialis� influence-t-elle l�acc�s des auteurs migrants � la publication, leur position dans le champ litt�raire et leur l�gitimit�? Dans le but de promouvoir le dialogue entre universitaires, �diteurs, auteurs et lecteurs, nous avons adopt� pour ce colloque une forme faisant alterner les communications, les tables rondes et les lectures donn�es par les �crivains. Les propositions doivent inclure un bref cv et une liste de publications attestant un int�r�t de recherche dans le domaine de l��criture postcoloniale de Paris/ Londres, un r�sum� de 150 mots pr�sentant le sujet propos�, incluant le nom des �crivains �tudi�s et l�axe choisi. Les applications sont � envoyer par e-mail avec le nom, statut institutionnel, adresse professionnelle et adresse mail avant le 15 mars 2008 � l�adresse suivante : [email protected]. Responsable: Christina Horvath, Ma�tre de conf�rences en litt�rature fran�aise, Universit� Oxford Brookes Pour plus d�information sur le r�seau de recherche M�troP�le, voir http://metropolenetwork.blogspot.com/ |
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Paris and London in Postcolonial Imaginary French Institute, London, 18-19 June, 2009 Call for Papers (English version) Paris and London were once the world�s largest cities and they still remain metropolises of global reach. When France and Britain withdrew from their colonies, these cities that once ruled the world began to attract expatriates and migrants from various countries. Following the decolonization, the international citizenry of the former empires converged in both cities in a phenomenon called the �reinvasion of the centre� (Ball, 2004). As immigrants started to occupy the centre and thus changed its demographic and cultural constitution, Paris and London came to include a transnational �world�, which is increasingly taking over. This conference proposes to examine the diverse ways in which contemporary Paris and London are experienced and portrayed by their exogenous, first or second generation writers from the 1980s until today. Adopting a comparative approach, it proposes to bring together theorists and practitioners of the contemporary French and English literature with the aim of addressing the postcolonial urban imaginary in which Paris and London prominently feature. The use of the term �postcolonial� might be at first surprising in a comparative perspective as it refers usually to the British colonial experience. Until recently, postcolonial theory has been seen in France as a predominantly �Anglo-Saxon� cultural model, whereas cultural products emerging after the influence of French colonialism have been addressed within the framework of Francophone studies (David Murphy and Charles Forsdick, 2003). In the 1990s and 2000s however, France witnessed the rise of a new interest in the migrant condition, eminently demonstrated by the cultural event �The Foreigner�s Home�, organised in autumn 2006 by the Louvre and the Afro-American writer Toni Morrison. As Morrison stated in an interview given to T�l�rama, the principal aim of this event was to question the key issues of territory, migration, asylum, homeland, otherness and belonging in an increasingly global context. Migrant writers� depiction of postcolonial London has been widely studied and theorized, as well as the discrepancy they create between the proposed model of national cohesion and the diversification from within (McLeod, 2004). In France, where an increasing number of studies have been recently devoted to postcolonial Diaspora writing, the urban imaginary has mainly been addressed with a focus on the �Beur� movement� (Laronde, 1993) and the Afro-Parisian Diaspora (Cazenave, 2003). While there is an evident parallel between literary representations of postcolonial London and Paris, there are only a few cross-cultural approaches exploring their similarities and differences. The aim of the present conference is to fill this gap by launching a cross-cultural dialogue on London and Paris in postcolonial imaginary in order to defy the national, linguistic and epistemological divide. We propose the following thematic axes: 1) How is urban space represented? The imagery of the postcolonial metropolis is a composite portrait that emerges from fictions about migrants having spent part of their lives dwelling in the city. What are the main characteristics of these spatial representations? What structural similarities or differences can be distinguished in works depicting London / Paris? 2) How does the repossession of the centre enable exogenous writers to reshape national identity? As a result of their position at the crossroads of several geographical and intellectual territories, exogenous writers are uniquely placed to reshape national identities and refashion literary canons. In what ways do these authors contribute to the emergence of new identities, styles and literary models? 3) How do literary establishments in France and Britain convey access to exogenous writers? The presence of exogenous voices within France and Britain and their impact on national canons are becoming more evident. How does this progressive modification of the centre-periphery relations influence in a global context the migrant writers� access to publication, position in the literary field and opportunity to achieve literary legitimacy? Aiming to promote dialogue between scholars, publishers, authors and readers involved in postcolonial urban literature, we are hoping for this conference to offer paper presentations, round table discussions and readings given by writers. Paper proposals should include a short CV and a list of relevant publications attesting a research interest in a field linked with postcolonial London or Paris writing, a 200-word abstract outlining the proposed issue including the name of the studied writers and the chosen thematic axis. Proposals should be sent by email with name, institutional status, address and email address no later than 15 March 2008 to [email protected]. Responsible: Christina Horvath, Senior Lecturer in French, Oxford Brookes University For more information on Research Network MetroPole, see http://metropolenetwork.blogspot.com/ |