As I'm sure you've noticed by now, we're big contemporary literature fans round here. We publish a wide range of secondary reading on some of the biggest contemporary fiction names out there – Philip Roth, Bret Easton Ellis, Margaret Atwood, Salman Rushdie and Julian Barnes to name but a few! (and of course, who can forget Hunter S Thompson).
Therefore, we were especially excited to hear about the new Contemporary Fiction Research Seminar at Birkbeck, University of London. They have an incredibly exciting Spring programme line-up – highlights include a seminar on Amis' Money around a special issue of Textual Practice that Dr. Joe Brooker is editing and one on the contemporary post/apocalypse with Professor Adam Roberts chairing a panel.
We are also delighted to announce that we will be selecting some of our finest contemporary literature publishing and offering books at exclusive prices for seminar attendees.
Below are some more details on the seminar series, plus the dates and times of each event.
The Contemporary Fiction Seminar focuses on all aspects of contemporary fiction. Its aims are to discuss a diverse selection of contemporary fictions: from novels to comics, from TV and film to online works; and to consider these works critically, against a broad spectrum of contemporary cultural concerns. Although the focus is primarily for those working in the fields of literary and cultural studies, the group welcomes non-specialists with an interest in the area. The seminars will alternate in form, including: sessions devoted to presentations from research students; lecture style sessions to be led by early career or established academics publishing in the field; sessions for invited guest speakers. The seminar is supported by the Birkbeck department for English and Humanities and the Institute of English Studies.
Co-convenors: Zara Dinnen (Birkbeck) and Tony Venezia (Birkbeck). To join the mailing list or for further information contact them at contemporaryfictionseminar@gmail.com.
01 February 2012 (Wednesday)
Venue: Room 265 (Senate House, second floor)
Time: 18:00 – 20:00
Dr Warren Buckland (Oxford Brookes), 'Wes Anderson and the New Sincerity: Or, What Comes After Postmodernism?'
25 February 2012 (Saturday)
Venue: Room 264 (Senate House, second floor)
Time: 14:00 – 16:00
Post- Apocalypse Now. The figure of the apocalypse retains a strong purchase on the contemporary imagination; as Zizek keeps saying, it's easier to imagine the end of the world than the end of capitalism. Are such apocalyptic narratives necessarily post-apocalyptic? Our panel of specially invited speakers will present papers on aspects of the contemporary (post-)apocalypse: Speakers: Dr Caroline Edwards (Lincoln), Dr Monica Germana (Westminster), Dr Gill Partington (Honorary Research Fellow, Birkbeck). Chair: Professor Adam Roberts (Royal Holloway).
28 March 2012 (Wednesday)
Venue: Room 264 (Senate House, second floor)
Time: 18:00 – 20:00
Dr Kim Akass (Hertfordshire) and Dr Janet McCabe (Birkbeck): 'The HBO Phenomenon'
28 April 2012 (Saturday)
Venue: Room 264 (Senate House, second floor)
Time: 14:00 – 16:00
Dr Joe Brooker (Birkbeck): 'Money: The Reckoning'. Session to mark the launch of a special issue of Textual Practice on Martin Amis' Money.
If you haven't got in touch yet with Zara or Tony then ensure you do before these fantastic events are all booked up!
Jenny Tighe
Marketing Executive
ps: Click here to read all of our recent Contemporary Literature posts!