Constructing Historical Narratives through Life-Writing
A one day conference looking at the medium of life writing
Wednesday 20 June 2018, 9am-5pm
Venue
Arts Centre, University Park Campus, University of Nottingham, NG7 2RD
Accommodation is available at the Orchard Hotel and in various halls at the University of Nottingham.
Professor Frances Spalding, CBE, FRSL (University of Cambridge)
Dr Joanne Cormac (University of Nottingham)
Download the programme
This interdisciplinary conference aims to explore the myriad ways in which the medium of life-writing has been and is being used as a means of constructing and understanding history. As a key characteristic of life-writing is its ability to cross disciplinary boundaries, papers from a range of disciplines will be discussed.
From Plutarch’s Parallel Lives to Gordon Brown’s recent My Life, Our Times, life-writing has long dealt not only with individuals, but also with the times in which they lived. The discipline traverses historical, cultural, social, political and literary realms. As such, life-writing is a unique medium enabling authors to construct complex historical narratives through the eyes of a particular person. Memoirs, diaries, and other forms of life-writing can also fill gaps in the documentary record, offering historical information that may not be found elsewhere.
The University of NottinghamUniversity ParkNottinghamNG7 2RD
telephone: +44 (0) 115 951 5151