Host: Department of English, Soochow University

Venue: Soochow University (Waishuanghsi Campus) , Taipei, Taiwan

Date: November 20, 2010

An almost obsessive interest in the human body in literary and psychological theory over the past ten years has explored not just the physical body but the body as metaphor, political emblem, social construction, and symptom.

Physical wounds may leave behind markings on the flesh of an individual but oppression and trauma cut into the tragic body of memory. Titles such as Arab and Jew: Wounded Spirits in a Promised Land (by David K. Shipler,1989), and Bury My Heart at Wounded Knee (by Dee Brown) provide direction indications of the misunderstandings and conflicts that exist between rival ethnic groups. The moral outrage expressed in such works resonates with the public, extending the boundaries of critical discussion. In part the widespread development of such a theme marks a revival of the tradition of socialist realism in the arts, but it can also go beyond the socialist tradition, free of party control and the obligation to serve the purpose of political education for the masses.

In recent years, the term “Literature of the Wounded” has been broadly used to characterize literary texts that reflect sufferings and struggles in a wide range of conflicting situations. Though “the wounded body” may be interpreted as mainly focusing on trauma and oppression and have association with suffering and loss, love and faith remain essential features.

Sub-topics:

Post-colonial forms of expression and Diaspora

Trauma/post-traumatic syndrome

Ethnic literatures and Minority discourses

Catastrophe/disaster literature

Feminist texts and practice

Socialist Realism

Political themes

Eco-literature

Revolution, war and civil war

Wounds and tattoos


Abstracts submission:

Prospective contributors should send the title of the proposed paper, 500-600 word abstract in either English or Chinese, and a brief CV (containing name, academic experience, institutional affiliation, e-mail address, postal address, and telephone number) as an e-mail attachment to Department of English, Soochow University at liaowei@scu.edu.tw

Papers (no longer than 20 pages, 20 minutes presentation) may be submitted in either English or Chinese as there will be panels held in both languages. Papers on comparative topics are encouraged.

Timeline:

Submission deadline for abstracts: March 15, 2010

Notification of accepted abstracts: by March 30, 2010

Submission deadline for full papers: October 29, 2010

Contact:

Willis Liao
English Department, Soochow University
R0901, 70, Linhsi Rd., Shihlin, Taipei, Taiwan 111
Phone: +886-2-28819471 #6486
Fax: +886-2-28817609