Although the CFP has been previously circulated, we wanted to post it here for easier distribution to anyone you think may wish to contribute or attend.
As Dunedin celebrates its tenth anniversary as a UNESCO City of Literature, the Centre for the Book proposes to think collectively about what books and cities have to do with each other. As well as considering the epiphenomena of books in cities, and if and how cities support or undermine book-based culture, we also want to think about what it might mean to be a “literary city,” by keeping in mind the city as (Latin) civitas, and asking in broad terms what books have meant and can mean for the lives of cities and their citizens.
Possible topics might include but are not limited to:
- Bookshops in (particular) cities, and their contribution to the ecology of print
- Newspapers, ditto.
- School policies, reading practices and distinctive Dunedin approaches
- Publishers and publishers of works about cities and their literary lives
- Libraries (public, private) in cities
- Other institutional structures supporting authors, writing and reading in cities: Festivals, Fellowships, Residencies
- Scholarship, books and essays in Dunedin
- City-based literary tourism
- Events associated with books: signings, launches, readings, book groups, exhibitions, etc.
- Handpress printing in Dunedin or other cities
- Guidebooks to cities and their writers and publishers
- Depictions in film and literature of books and book-related activities in the life of cities
- Books and urbanity (urbs = [Latin] city, geographical; walled town); books and politeness (polis = [Greek] citadel, city, or community)
- Books and civility /civilisations /citizenship (civitas = [Latin] city, social and political): that is, the values appropriate for life in cities.
Dates and details
Call for Papers issued Mon. 1 July
Proposals for papers by 1 Sept., to books@otago.ac.nz
We hope to send acceptances by 15 September.
The Symposium will be on Thurs (evening), Friday (all day), 21-22 November
The venue will be the Otago College of Education Tower Block, Theatre G07.