CONFERENCE CALL
MELOW 2020
THE 19TH INTERNATIONAL CONFERENCE
OF
MELOW (THE SOCIETY FOR THE STUDY OF THE
MULTI-ETHNIC LITERATURES OF THE WORLD)
to be held in CHANDIGARH, INDIA, 21-23 FEBRUARY
2020
CONNECTIONS/DISCONNECTIONS:
LITERARY TRADITIONS, CONTINUITIES & DISRUPTIONS
What comprises the “immortal” element
in literature? What is it that goes into the making of a classic? Why do some texts
tower high above the mass-produced run-of-the-mill texts? Why is it that some
books cause barely a ripple when they see the light of the day, fading away
into insignificance soon after, while on the contrary, some texts remain
evergreen through the ages. What exactly constitutes the timelessness of books
that remain alive from generation to generation?
The conference will discuss topics
related to the timeless and the temporal in the world of literature,
continuities and disruptions in the literary tradition, and the making and
breaking of literary canons. We propose panels that look at (a) theoretical considerations of the
canon and changing literary values down the ages; (b) books that have been part
of the canon promoted by academicians and other custodians of literature; (c) those
that were initially neglected or censored or considered suspect but found their
way into the mainstream with the passage of time; (d) authors/texts not given
their due, but who deserve to be included among the literary greats; (e)
adaptations and revisions of significant literary texts; (f) texts that defy the existing canon
and anticipate a new tradition. Other related issues may also be considered.
We propose to divide the conference papers into the following
panels:
PANEL A: Theoretical Approaches to
Value Judgements in Literature.
PANEL B: The Timeless and the
Temporal: Literary Traditions Then and Now.
PANEL C: Continuities and Disruptions
in Literary Traditions.
PANEL D: Anticipating New Canons: Defying the Existing and Setting
Trends for the New.
PANEL E: Adaptations, Revisions, and
Reworking of Landmark Texts.
PANEL F: Related issues not covered in
the above categories.
Abstracts of 200 words on the above areas
may be sent in the TEXT BOX of the email (not as
attachment) to melusmelow@gmail.com
SUBSIDIES AVAILABLE: A limited no. of need-based subsidies are available
for delegates from abroad. Those interested may apply for the same when
submitting their abstracts.
MODE OF ABSTRACT SUBMISSION:
The subject line of your message should read thus: ABSTRACT
2020: [YOUR NAME] and [If you wish to compete for the ISM Award* state if you
are an Indian citizen below 40]
The format given below is to be
followed for the submission of abstract:
PANEL HEAD under which abstract may be considered (A, B, C, D,
E, or F, as given above):
|
MELUS/MELOW conferences attended earlier
(in which year and where)
|
Are you currently a member of
MELOW? Or do you need a fresh / renewed membership? Please specify.
|
Competing for ISM Award*: YES or NO
|
Name of Delegate
Official designation (Designation/Dept/College)
Email id
Title of Abstract
|
ABSTRACT [Text] 200 words approx.
|
Deadline
for receipt of abstracts is 15 September 2019.
All
abstracts will be peer-reviewed before they are accepted. Do not send
full papers. Once acceptance letters are sent, full papers (approx 3,000
words) will be invited only from participants (under 40 years of age) competing
for the Isaac Sequeira Memorial Award. The rest of the delegates need to
bring their complete papers along at the time of the conference.
* ISAAC SEQUEIRA MEMORIAL AWARD:
In the memory of the late Prof Isaac
Sequeira, MELOW annually awards a prize for the best paper presented by a young
scholar at its conference. The award comprises a certificate and a cash prize
of Rs. 5,000.
The competition is open to Indian citizens who are members of MELOW. The
competing participant / delegate should be below forty years at the time of the
conference. The abstract should be submitted by the stipulated deadline in the
required format. If it is selected for the ‘long list’ the complete paper will
be invited by a given deadline and assessed and shortlisted before it is
presented at the conference.
