European Romances Across Languages: Book Celebration and Research Perspectives

Sofia Lodén and Lydia Zeldenrust have both recently published books that look at romances across multiple languages and literary traditions. To celebrate the occasion, we invite you to join us for this online event, sponsored by the Centre for Medieval Literature (Odense/York) and Boydell and Brewer, and chaired by Elisabeth de Bruijn.

Lydia and Sofia will talk briefly about their books, but instead of only looking back we want to take the opportunity to consider the future of the study of medieval European literature. To this end, we have invited three researchers working on romances from different areas of medieval Europe to each give a short reflection on what they see as the main obstacles, opportunities,  and rewards in the transnational study of medieval romance (in manuscript and  print). Their comments will serve as prompts for a general discussion, where all participants are welcome to ask questions and share their own reflections (although you are also welcome to just join and listen!).

We aim to make use of the opportunities offered by a digital setting in bringing together researchers from various countries, who may not usually have the opportunity to meet each other, to talk about the challenges and value of looking at literature beyond national canons. We hope that this event will spark new ideas and perhaps even open up opportunities for future collaborations. 

Programme

Welcome (14:30-14:35 BST/15:30-15:35 CEST) 

Book presentation and methodological reflections (14:35-15:00 BST/15:35-16:00 CEST) 

• Sofia Lodén (Stockholm University and Swedish Collegium for Advanced Study, Uppsala): French Romance, Medieval Sweden and the Europeanisation of Culture 
• Lydia Zeldenrust (University of York): The Mélusine Romance in  Medieval Europe 

Reflections on the obstacles, opportunities, and rewards of transnational studies (15:00-15:20 BST/16:00-16.20 CEST) (Chair: Elisabeth de Bruijn, University of Antwerp)  

• Ana Pairet (Rutgers University - New Brunswick) 
• Marie-Sophie Winter (Université de Picardie, Karlsruher Institut für Technologie)  
• Bart Besamusca (Utrecht University) 

General discussion (15:20-16:00 BST/16:20-17:00 CEST)

Register here: https://boybrew.co/3epwPUu