Impact of Literary Research Outside Academia

Overview and Programme

Overview:

This workshop explores how existing and emerging directions of literary research make an impact outside academia, and how that impact could be cultivated further.  It is directed towards postgraduate researchers and early-career academics.

All the sessions in this workshop will particularly address engagement between literary research and enterprise – in terms of contributing to existing entrepreneurial activity or to encourage innovative new areas of such activity. Engagement could be within established spheres of business or through academic activity and collaboration which enhance the public good while realising the productive potential of society.

Specific issues that will be discussed are:  How do literary research programmes in the academy help serve employability and skills-needs outside academia? To what extent is literary research suited to collaborate with businesses and public organizations for the public good? What emerging areas of literary research facilitate the above?

The organisers are interested in the interrogations and resistances that such questions often arouse. Definitions of the ‘public good’ are obviously contested, and it is arguable that literary research which works to entrepreneurial ends is contrary to the public good. Further, it is also often maintained that literary research is not designed for entrepreneurial activity but other – and putatively higher – social, ethical and aesthetic ends. A session will be devoted to examining these issues too.

This workshop arises from a collaborative project between the Open University, UK, and UNICAMP, Brazil. One of the objectives of this project is to comparatively explore the situation in the UK and Brazil apropos of the above issues. Each session is designed to generate a conversation between British and Brazilian perspectives. In each session brief presentations will be followed by a substantial discussion period.

Programme

April 5th

9:00-12:00: Session 1: Publishing Studies

Presentations:

Suman Gupta  (30 mins.): Outline of the following: (1) Publishing Studies programmes in the UK; (2) the relationship between Publishing Studies and Literary Studies; (2) bearing of the above on employment and enterprise outside academia.

Fabio Durão (15 mins.): Response to the above from a Brazilian perspective.

Fernando Urueta (Ph.D. student) (15 mins.); Response to the above from a Brazilian perspective.

Discussion:  90 mins.

12:00-14:00: Lunch

14:00-17:00: Session 2: Literary Tourism and Heritage Studies

Presentations:

Nicola Watson  (30 mins.): Outline of the following: (1) Literary tourism and heritage studies programmes in the UK; (2) current directions of research and research collaborations; (2) bearing of the above on employment and enterprise outside academia.

Leandro Pasini (15 mins.): Response to the above from a Brazilian perspective.

Renan Salmistraro (Ph.D. student) (15 mins.); Response to the above from a Brazilian perspective.

Discussion:  90 mins.

April 6th

9:00-12:00: Session 3: Creative Writing

Presentations:

Derek Neale  (30 mins.): Outline of the following: (1) Creative Writing programmes in the UK; (2) current directions of research and research collaborations; (2) bearing of the above on employment and enterprise outside academia.

Paloma Vidal (15 mins.): Response to the above from a Brazilian perspective.

Elisa Pagan (15 mins.): Response to the above from a Brazilian perspective.

Discussion:  90 mins.

12:00-14:00: Lunch

14:00-17:00: Session 4: Interrogating Entrepreneurial Literary Research

Presentations:

Reflections (15 mins. each) on the kinds of doubts that may be raised about considering literary research predominantly in terms of entrepreneurial interests and employability agendas, by: Suman Gupta, Nicola Watson, Derek Neale, Fabio Durão, Leandro Pasini, and 2 UNICAMP Ph.D. students.  105 mins. altogether. 

Discussion:  90 mins.

Image: Courtesy of Bill Owen www.freeimages.com