How does reading contribute to – and sometimes detract from – our ability to act as truly global citizens in the 21st century? What can literature do to encourage participation in activist movements? By what means might literature help develop a greater understanding of the lives of our far-flung others?
Ethics, Affect and Responsibility: Global Citizenship and the Act of Reading seeks to answer these questions through a year-long series of workshops. These will focus on the ways in which engagement with the arts and humanities, especially literary writing, might intersect with social justice movements more broadly.
The first workshop, which will take place at The University of Bristol on 17 September 2016 from 10 am to 5 pm, will focus on how literature might be used to promote activist causes at the local and regional levels. The workshop will feature a selection of master classes addressing topics including literature and race, bibliotherapy and refugee communities, and the possibilities of structured reading for disadvantaged youth. Master classes will be led by expert academics with experience putting their theoretical work into practice, and will be interactive in nature. Dr Keon West (Goldsmiths) will be giving a keynote address.
Tea, coffee and lunch will be provided free of charge to all participants. The daytime workshop will be followed by a free reading and discussion with Nikesh Shukla, editor of The Good Immigrant, at Watershed, Bristol in Waterside Room 3 from 6-7:30 pm.
This workshop is free and open to all, though places are limited and pre-booking is essential. To register your interest, please email Dr Madhu Krishnan with the subject heading ‘Ethics, Affect and Responsibility’, listing any dietary or special requirements.
Further information is available on the workshop website.