Mapping new trends

The wild child of French literature, a philosopher turned children’s book author and a leading Scots sci-fi writer will speak about their work at the University of St Andrews this week.

Camille de Toledo, author of the provocative Coming of Age at the End of History, is one of the main guests at an international conference (15-17 September) hosted by the University’s School of Modern Languages.

Toledo will be joined by former computer programmer Ken McLeod, author of The Night Sessions and one of the new generation of British science fiction authors.  Barcelona-born Lolita Bosch is an award winning author of children’s books and organiser of literary festivals.

The three day event, opened by comparative literature scholar Professor Susan Bassnett, brings together eighty speakers from fourteen countries and five continents.  Covering the fields of French, German, Italian, Russian, Spanish and UK contemporary literatures, the scholars will explore some of the convergences, divergences and cross-fertilisations in European literature today.

The conference marks the inception of the Institute for Contemporary and Comparative Literature, which sets out to redefine ‘the contemporary’ and ‘comparative literature’ for the twenty-first century. The Institute will host seminars, workshops, symposia and larger conferences, visiting scholars and writers in residence, and will operate in conjunction with a suite of new undergraduate and postgraduate degree programmes.

For further information visit: www.st-andrews.ac.uk/modlangs/events/europeanliterature and www.st-andrews.ac.uk/modlangs/Research/Centresandinstitutes.

ENDS

Issued by the Press Office, University of St Andrews Contact Gayle Cook, Senior Communications Manager on 01334 467227 / 462529, mobile 07900 050 103, or email [email protected]

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