International conference on literature and reality to take place in Riga

From September 16 to 18 this year, Riga is hosting a large international conference titled "What Shapes Literature: Reviewing Realism, Poetics and Belonging." The event brings together researchers of literature, culture, art, media, memory and identity processes from various countries around the world.

Three themes at the core

The three concepts named in the conference title - realism, poetics and belonging - outline the main directions around which participants' discussions are organized. Researchers examine how literary texts depict and interpret reality, what expressive means and techniques literature employs, and how literature relates to questions of identity and belonging.

Literature as a social phenomenon

Conference participants approach literature not only as an aesthetic phenomenon but also as a social and cultural one that closely interacts with history and politics. This approach allows researchers to view literary works in a broader context - not merely as an art form, but also as a reflection of, and influence on, historical and social processes.

An interdisciplinary perspective

The event gathers experts from several fields in the humanities and social sciences - literary studies, cultural studies, art history, media research, as well as the study of memory and identity processes. This interdisciplinary composition allows conference participants to examine literature from multiple angles at once, combining methodologies and approaches from different disciplines.

The conference runs for three days in Riga, bringing together an international community of researchers who share their insights into the changing understanding of reality and its reflection in literature.