Venue: The Conference Centre, Lancaster
University, UK
Tel: +4 (0)1524 592444
Post-conference thoughts
Although the conference has now happened and we are all dispersed to our respective institutions, geographical locations and taken up with our more usual daily pre-occupations we wanted to extend a public thank-you to all the participants. From the plenary-panel speakers to each and every workshop paper the quality of the presentations, the content of the discussion and, just as important, the manner in which that discussion took place was superb : thoughtful, engaged and respectful. It made for a conference beyond our wildest dreams and it was only possible because of what we made together. We feel confident that the discussions begun at the conference will continue among small clusters of people who are both geographically proximate to each other and via other, electonically aided, means that have the power to connect and shrink distance.
So a big and public thank-you to you all!
Gail Lewis and Anne-Marie Fortier
Dear Colleagues
In case you haven't heard, Women's Studies at Lancaster is hosting a major and exciting international conference in September - Melancholic States - This event is not to be missed with acclaimed speakers, artists, film makers and activists from across the world.
Registration is now underway for the Melancholic States conference -
Early bird registration ends August 31st - click on link
to register
now and for further
details
This conference will explore the ways in which the idea of 'melancholic
states' speaks to the complexity of the present. With a provenance in
psychoanalysis, the concept of melancholia has proliferated across numerous
fields. Sometimes it refers to a state of mind or an affective state:
elsewhere it is used to speak of racialised, gendered or queer subjectivities.
At other times it becomes a tool to analyse political states or to convene
constituencies of solidarity. Melancholia also founds collective memory
and associated artefactual practices and describes the conditions of professional
practice organised around a public service ethic. Positioned as a condition
to be claimed, transcended, or negotiated, 'melancholic states' speaks
to the contemporary zeitgeist: the post/neo-colonial era. This international
conference will bring together voices from women's studies, postcolonial
and critical race studies, critical psychology, politics, international
relations, sociology, anthropology, geography, art and design and queer
studies to address our melancholic states. Gaye Chan (University of Keshet
(activist and writer, Jerusalem) Ranjana Khanna (Duke University) Roz
Mortimer (filmmaker, London) Kavita Panjabi (Jadavpur University, Calcutta)
Nandita Sharma (University of Hawai'i) Cindy Weber (Lancaster University)
This conference will explore the ways in which the idea of 'melancholic states' speaks to the complexity of the present.
With a provenance in psychoanalysis, the concept of melancholia has proliferated across numerous fields. Sometimes it refers to a state of mind or an affective state: elsewhere it is used to speak of racialised, gendered or queer subjectivities. At other times it becomes a tool to analyse political states or to convene constituencies of solidarity. Melancholia also founds collective memory and associated artefactual practices and describes the conditions of professional practice organised around a public service ethic. Positioned as a condition to be claimed, transcended, or negotiated, 'melancholic states', speaks to the contemporary zeitgeist: the post/neo-colonial era.
This international conference will bring together voices from women's studies, postcolonial and critical race studies, critical psychology, politics, international relations, sociology, anthropology, geography, art and design and queer studies to address our melancholic states.
Confirmed plenary speakers include:
M. Jacqui Alexander (University of Toronto)
Gaye Chan (University of Hawai'i)
Veena Das (Johns Hopkins University)
David Eng (Rutgers University)
Ayse Gul Altinay (Sabinci University, Istanbul)
Yehudit Keshet (activist and writer, Jerusalem)
Ranjana Khanna (Duke University)
Roz Mortimer (filmmaker, London)
Kavita Panjabi (Jadavpur University, Calcutta)
Nandita Sharma (University of Hawai'i)
Cindy Weber (Lancaster University)
This event is sponsored by
and The Centre for Gender and Women's Studies
Organising Committee: