Kindly note that the deadline for the Feb 2016 conference has been extended to 31st August 2015.
MELOW(The Society for the Study of the Multi-Ethnic Literatures of the World)CONFERENCE CALL15th INTERNATIONAL MELOW CONFERENCETitle: Towards Praxis: Literature, Society and PoliticsTo be hosted by Indraprastha University, New Delhi, IndiaTentative dates: 12-14 Feb 2016We live in a fast-paced age with our attention distracted by high-tech gadgets, computers, smart phones, and other devices that are meant to provide a short cut to ‘success.’ At the same time, we have become suspicious of all ideas, all concepts, that attempt to map this fast-paced life. Being unable to live with the notion of ‘essences’, we live now in a world of cognitive incertitude. From Prufrock’s “It is impossible to say just what I mean,” we, in our postmodernist technology-savvy world, have graduated to rejoice not only at our growing command over technology, but surprisingly also at our inability to ‘mean’.Where, in this hurly burly of life, this ‘chaosmos’, does literature stand today? Is it totally irrelevant or does it still serve a serious purpose, refining our finer sensibilities, adding an ‘aesthetic’ touch to human life, keeping it connected with the ‘higher’ aspects of life? To modify the question Auden asked, does literature make anything happen? Does it make us better human beings? Does it have a civilizing effect on society? Or is it absolutely irrelevant in today’s world, in spite of the gender, race, class, caste, and ecological issues that it often raises?For centuries, we have been debating whether literature just reflects life or really transforms us by reflecting on life. Does a literary text change the way we think, or live, or act? Does it address the issue of our ‘constructedness’? Does it only show us the possibilities for future, or does it give us a direction, too? Does it help us adapt to changes that have already taken place, or does it help us change the world through ‘the ethics of resilience.’ The issue of ‘human transformation’ becomes more significant in the supposedly post-humanist universe that we are supposed to be already in, or perhaps entering.The MELOW 2016 conference would focus on the relevance of literature and on how effective a literary text is in changing the social fabric of the world. It will explore the innate power of literature to transform the world and debate on related issues. Abstracts not exceeding 250 words are invited on the issues listed below. They should be sent to the respective panel heads (email ids given) by the 31st of August 2015.1. Theoretical considerations: Is literature relevant in today’s world? Is it possible for literary texts to change the world/society? What is the relationship between literature and active politics? Send abstracts to Prof Anil Raina aneelraina@gmail.com2. Books that changed the world: Literary landmarks written with a specific social agenda. Send abstracts to Dr Roshan Sharma. roshanlal.sharma@gmail.com 3. Children’s Literature: fairy tales, adventure stories, moral tales and nonsense literature. What purpose do they serve? Send abstracts to Prof Manju Jaidka. mjaidka@gmail.com4. The uses of escapist literature: Fantasy, science fiction, gothic and horror stories. Utopias and Dystopias. Send abstracts to Dr. Manpreet Kang. roohipannu@yahoo.co.uk5. Science and speculative fiction: the futuristic and the posthuman. Send abstracts to Prof. Ashis Sengupta. ashmit_2003@yahoo.com Instructions to all prospective delegates:Your abstract (of about 250 words) should be sent in the TEXT BOX of the email (not as attachment). The following information, in the given format, should be sent along with the abstract:
