Participants of the three-day international conference hosted by the Department of English, St Joseph University.
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DIMAPUR, APRIL 10 (MExN): The Department of English, St Joseph University, Nagaland hosted a three-day international conference on ‘National Literatures and Transnational Textuality’ from April 6 to 8. The conference was organized by Prof Selvin Vedamanickam, the Organizing Secretary and Chief Editor.
Fifty-three research papers from various states were presented in the conference. The research papers critically and creatively explored the trans-national dimension of language, literature, theoretical and cultural studies. These were literary and theoretical constructions of and responses from aesthetic, historical, industrial, technological, speculative, post/colonial, feminist, queer, religious, translational, local and/or global perspectives.
Selected research papers will be published in an ISBN Book in June 2022.
“This conference is a historical first in India – the first ever conference on Trans-national Literature and Trans-national Textuality in India and the first ever ISBN book on Trans-national Literature and Trans-national Textuality in India, informed a press release from the university.
Dr Thokchom Sunanda Devi, HOD of English, opened the conference with the welcome address. Prof D Ganandurai, Vice Chancellor delivered the presidential address and launched the first copy of the abstract book. Rev Sr Dr I Arockia Mary received the first copy. Prof A Anthonisan delivered the felicitation speech. Four speakers from three countries delivered the special lectures.
On day 1, Prof Kalpana Purohit, PhD, Professor and Head, JN Vyas University, Jodhpur, Rajasthan, India delivered the first speech on the Topic ‘A Traverse into Diaspora through the lens of Socio-Cultural Constructs.’ She explored the diasporic literature with special reference to Indian writers abroad.
The same day Mutiu Olawuyi, CEO of World Inkers Printing and Publishing, Senegal and the United States, delivered the second lecture on the topic ‘Jet Age and the Neo-Colonial Nigerian Literature: Textual Analysis of Critical Trending Issues.’ He discussed the colonial, neo-colonial and post-colonial elements of Nigerian literature. He brought out certain similarities between Nigerian literature and Indian literature.
On Day 2, Prof Noel Joseph Irudayaraj, PhD, Head, Department of English (Retd), Bharathidasan University, Tiruchirappalli, India delivered the first speech on the topic ‘Comparative Literature / World Literature / Trans-national Literature.’ He elaborated on the etymological significance of the suffixes ‘trans-’ and ‘post’ and the meaning of the term ‘nation’. He discussed the difference between ‘nation state’ and ‘state nation’.
The same day Prof Christopher Norris PhD, British philosopher and literary critic, Emeritus Professor, Cardiff University, UK, delivered the second lecture on the topic ‘Beyond Formalism: Poetry, Poetics and Literary Theory.’ He covered the history of literary criticism and theory from the historical point of ‘formalism’ and added dimension of poetry and poetics.
On Day 3, Prof Christopher Norris did a critical-recital of his yet to be published poetry book Damaged Life: poems after Adorno’s Minima Moralia. He explained the critical reasoning and philosophical underpinnings of Theodore Adorno’s writings.
On Day 3, Prof. Selvin Vedmanickam, the Organizing Secretary of the conference delivered the final summation lecture explaining the importance of moving towards the ‘trans-national approach’ in representing and interpreting language, literature and culture.
Rev Sr Dr I Arockia Mary, Dean, Admin delivered the valedictory address and Rev Sr Chinnamma distributed the certificates. Rev Fr Sezhian offered the benediction.
