Legacies of the Avant-Garde:
Experimental Writings 1960-2014
Friday 28th November, Grand Parade, University of Brighton, UK
Keynotes: Dr Kaye Mitchell (Manchester) | Dr Jennifer Hodgson (Durham)
Organised by C21: Centre for Research in 21st Century Writings, University of Brighton, this symposium will take place as part of CINECITY: The Brighton Film Festival 2014 celebrating the fiftieth anniversary of the publication of Berg (1964) by experimental Brighton-born author Ann Quin.
To register for the symposium, and for more information, please visit the C21 website: http://arts.brighton.ac.uk/research/c21
The day before he committed suicide, BS Johnson famously told his agent, ‘I shall be much more famous when I am dead’. Four decades on, this one day symposium aims to address the literary legacies of late twentieth century avant-garde authors, and their status in the contemporary literary canon. From William S Burroughs and Eimear McBride, Christine Brooke-Rose and Ann Quin, to Thomas Pynchon and David Foster Wallace, the late twentieth century was defined by a range of authors who pushed to boundaries of literary experimentation.
Considering the influence of modernism and postmodernism, as well as contextual developments in gender, social class and censorship, this event will debate the impact and inspiration offered by experimental authors and their role in shaping the writers of today. Concerned as much with forgotten names, as with recognised authors, this event calls for a wide range of interpretations of both ‘experimental’ and ‘literature’ and asks if we are ready for another wave of avant-garde fiction in the twenty-first century.
Delegates will receive free entry to CINECITY screenings on the evening of 28th November 2014 following the symposium.
Please direct any enquiries to: C21Writings@brighton.ac.uk