ICLA 2016 - International Comparative Literature Association Congress 2016

The comparison of literary texts from different cultural spheres and in different languages was at the origin of comparative literature. Even after comparatist paradigms have changed and developed, and after comparative criticism has expanded considerably, the crossing of borders between languages is still essential to the discipline.
For the first time, the theme of a congress organized by the International Comparative Literature Association will be "language" ? language in all its meanings and embedded in various contexts: as a "national" idiom, the basis of literary texts: as source-language and target-language in literary translation: as the set of languages forming "world literature" in its literary manifestation (and as the canon of languages that "world literature" is actually concentrating on). And language ? both written and spoken ? is not just the self-evident medium of all the objects of comparative literature, but also the indispensable meta-language of scientific discourse and literary terminology. The multilingualism of comparative literature is both a challenge and an opportunity: from its beginnings, the polymorphous diversity of world literature has constituted the attraction and wider reach of comparatist reading; on the other hand, even the most accomplished polyglot comparatist can master only a relatively small range of languages. This fact conditions the discourse more than might be apparent in a scholarly culture increasingly influenced by the English language.
The congress will also focus on language in its broadest sense: the usage of language by social and ethnic groups as vectors of literature, the language of themes and discourses, language as a literary subject, language as the expression of central problems and ideas negotiated in the various literatures of the world, and even in its metaphorical sense, as "languages" of styles and forms. As an infinite code with constant need for decryption, the international sign system of literature perpetually reproduces the myth of the confusion of tongues and sets new tasks to multilingual mankind in coming to terms with literature and its criticism.
CONGRESS SECTIONS
A.
The arts as universal code
Languages of form and genre
Languages of style
Language in the 2nd degree ? quotation, intertextuality and metareference
Comparing the arts: art as a universal language
Language and literature ? general semiotics
Different media, different expressions
B.
Language ? The essence of world literature
The Tower of Babel: myths about language
Languages as a literary topic
Languages of the world ? languages of world literature ? world language?
Nation and language
"Translational" literature
"Major" vs. "minor" languages
The comparison of languages ? one origin of literary comparatism
Expressing regionalism
The language of power ? the language of resistance
Literary translation: histories, methods, markets
C.
Many cultures, many idioms
Language and culture
Cultural images and their linguistic representation
The language of the "others"
Language and identity
Multilingualism as a traditional phenomenon
Multilingualism as a contemporary phenomenon
Multilingualism ? problem or opportunity
Who is speaking? Comparatism and the social sciences
Hybridity and comparatism
Crossing cultural borders
D.
The language of thematics
How to speak about themes? Terminology of Thematics
Meaning ? interpreting texts in a comparatist framework
The renaissance of metaphor studies
Language of the sexes ? languages of gender
The languages of emotion
The language of concern ? international ecocriticism
E.
Comparatists at work ? professional communication
The knowledge of literary criticism and its various codes
The evaluation of literature ? the language of criticism
Comparatism as a verbal procedure ? how to compare with words?
Speaking about: The metadiscourse of literary historiography
Digital humanities
Analytical philosophy and logic in the critical discourse
Spoken and written discourse
The multilingual library of comparative literature
The comparatist’s dictionary: International terminology
PROPOSALS
Individual proposals may be submitted for congress sessions (one session = 3 papers = 90 min.).
All the topics presented above may be considered as suggestions for further elaboration. Congress sessions will be organized according to the number and variety of proposals. In general, two types of proposals are possible:
1) individual proposals for papers to be presented in congress sessions,
2) proposals to organize group sections.
1) Individual proposals may be submitted for congress sessions. They will be assessed by an international committee and, if accepted, assigned to a particular congress session.
2) Individuals may also submit proposals for group sections (such as seminars, workshops, round tables). If the group section is accepted, the group section applicant will independently invite individuals to submit proposals and participate in these group sections. Group section applicants will chair their respective groups. Large group sections may require several meetings, scheduled by the congress organization, possibly on different days.