Panel 09: Literary Representations of Migration in Portuguese-Language Literature (EN)

Chairs:

Ana Rita Sousa, University of Bucareste & CHAM-NOVA FCSH

Nuno Miguel Neves, University of Belgrado & CLP-FLUC

This proposal invites a critical reflection on literary representations of emigration, taking as its starting point the way in which literary texts configure and problematize the migratory experience. Based on a comparative perspective, the panel proposes an interrogation of interdisciplinary intersections (literature, history or anthropology, without prejudice to others), which explore narratives of emigration and/or immigration and their representations and/or symbolic manifestations in different geographical and temporal contexts. Priority will be given to approaches that take into account the specificities of Portuguese-language literatures, from narratives of exile and diaspora to representations of integration or cultural confrontation. In addition to promoting a debate that addresses the thematic and aesthetic dimensions of these works, the aim is also to look at how they collaborate and participate in the construction of collective memories and transnational identities. By bringing together contributions that articulate literary theory, cultural and post-colonial studies, this panel aims to deepen understanding of the ways in which Lusophone literature reflects and calls into question the complexities of the migratory phenomenon in contemporary times, establishing new perspectives on the interface between text, context and human experience.

Keywords: Migratory Movements; Literature; Symbolic Representations; Portuguese Memory