PG CWWN invite abstract submissions for this half day symposium at the University of Oxford.
Sisters in Verse: Contemporary Women’s Poetry
A half day symposium at the University of Oxford
Friday 9th March 2012
Keynote Panel Discussion: Kate Clanchy, Sophie Mayer & Jane Yeh
Adrienne Rich once stated that ‘the connections between and among women are the most feared, the most problematic, and the most potentially transforming force on the planet’. This symposium aims to interrogate what these connections between women make possible in contemporary poetry. Given that a woman currently holds the British laureateship, we have clearly come some distance from deriding the ‘poetess’; this event seeks to evaluate recent transformations. From sisterhood and solidarity between recent generations of poets, to flat refusals to call one’s self a ‘woman poet’, there are many themes to discuss at this half day symposium.
Topics may include (but are not limited to):
- Feminist poetics and écriture féminine
- Protest poetry
- Generational influence and anxiety
- The development of twentieth century and post- millennial women’s poetry
- The women of the ‘Next Generation Poets’ promotion
- All-female anthologies and accusations of self- ghettoization
- Relations between poets from different backgrounds
- Female laureateships; the journey from ‘poetess’ to poet laureate
Abstracts should be sent to women@pgcwwn.org by 17th February 2012.
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