Members’ Events
Call for Papers – XXVIII International Conference of O&L
Potenza 24-26 September 2025The XXVIII International Conference of O&L will take place at the University of Basilicata. The conference will be held in the Aula Magna of the Francioso Campus and in the Hall of the National Archaeological Museum of Basilicata Dinu Adamesteanu, Potenza. Additionally, on September 27, a visit will be organized to the Sassi of Matera, which were listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1993. The detailed program of the visit and the registration procedures will be provided to interested participants. The Conference will focus on the following topics:The names of ‘villains’ (antagonists and negative characters).The relevance of the names of literary ‘villains’ and/or ‘antagonists’ is already evident when we consider a peculiar linguistic phenomenon: many of them have become so famous that they have turned into antonomasies, or even lexicalized into deonyms. Among those attested in the lexical heritage of Italian and its dialects, one could think, for example, of ‘Ganelon / Gano di Maganza,’ which has become synonymous with ‘traitor’ (alongside ‘giuda’), also appearing with the epithet ‘(treacherous) Maganzese’. Beyond this, other purely literary cases can be listed within the same domain, which have already been studied by critics, such as the names of the devils Malebranche in Dante’s Divine Comedy and those of the Shakespearean theatrical characters Macbeth, Shylock, Iago, or the Molière character Tartuffe, may be counted in the same sphere. The name in autobiographical writingsIn autobiography, understood as a literary form, there is an onomastic identity between the author, narrator, and protagonist, which refers to the same entity. The enunciation of the name of the authornarrator-protagonist, therefore, constitutes a key element for reading, capable of guiding the reader’s interpretative cooperation and the process of meaning-making within the work. However, the enunciation of the nominal identity of the one who takes the floor rarely appears within the text, while it is often displayed in the paratext. The narrator who designates himself with a first-person pronoun, therefore, does not have a name, and yet, as Roland Barthes emphasizes, that pronoun, in the narrative, becomes an anthroponym, unless the narrator leaves some onomastic trace within the text. Equally significant are the procedures that affect the names of other characters involved in autobiographical writings, which may, for example, be subject to various kinds of omissions, because they are hidden by anonymity or disguised through substitute names. The same ambivalent attitude may also involve the names of the places where the action is set. Therefore, this section could include all investigations aimed at detecting and revealing the often unsuspected autobiographical resonances hidden behind the onomastics of a text. Anthropological foundations of the name: taboo, apotropaic or magical namesIt is well known that in Le Conte du Graal by Chrétien de Troyes, the reader (and the character who bears the name) comes to know the protagonist’s name only at a very advanced stage of the poem: the revelation assumes an initiatory value, reaching the peak of a difficult process of self-knowledge. The Kretienian ‘taboo of the name’ is certainly not the only example where a literary name seems to regain the magical and apotropaic significance, with complex anthropological meanings, traces of which were widespread and profound in primitive onomastics, and which also characterized the prohibition of pronouncing the divine Tetragrammaton in Jewish tradition. However, in this section, which could also be titled, playing on Freud’s words, Nomen and tabù, one could certainly include other well-known cases seen from different perspectives, such as that of the Erinyes, often referred to by the apotropaic name Eumenides (as in Aeschylus’s tragedy or in the title of the famous novel by Jonathan Littell, Les Bienveillantes, which mirrors the same mythological model of the persecution of Orestes by the Erinyes); or famous literary examples, such as the case of the figure of the Innominato in Manzoni’s novel, struck by a sort of interdiction that evokes the previously mentioned prohibition of pronouncing the divine name. Cases of autonymy: when a character assigns themselves a name, a nickname, or a pseudonymAmong the cases in which a literary character is compelled, for various reasons, to re-name themselves, the first examples that come to mind are certainly classic ones, such as Alonso Quijano / Don Quixote, Jekyll / Hyde, or, in twentieth-century Italian literature, Mattia Pascal / Adriano Meis. Beyond this specific corpus, however, other forms of autonymy can be found, even if seemingly less striking, such as those of the Decameron characters, who assume different onomastic forms from their official names during various disguises: from Tebaldo degli Elisei / Filippo di San Lodeccio to Lodovico / Anichino, or, with a change of gender, Madonna Zinevra / Sicuran da Finale. To mention a twentieth-century example, one can think of the programmatic battle names that partisans give themselves in post-World War II stories. But other types can also be suggested. One involves the author themselves when they, to some extent, take on a substitute name, either to hide or, conversely, to showcase a particular authorial stance. One thinks of the kaleidoscopic array of heteronyms by Pessoa, but also more unsuspected cases, such as that of Luzi, who in some collections hints at himself under real names and profiles like Simone Martini. Also, in the realm of authorial posture, one can cite the self-deprecating, diminutive autonyms, with a programmatically self-ironic and reductive intent, such as ‘guidogozzano’. Submerged Lucanità: Onomastic Explorations from Rocco Scotellaro to Gaetano CappelliThe occasion of the conference in Potenza offers numerous onomastic insights not only for the general ‘anniversary section’ but also for the more specific literary production of Lucanian authors. This year, in particular, marks the fiftieth anniversary of the death of Carlo Levi, whose Christ Stopped at Eboli (it is needless to emphasize its significance in the history of Basilicata) reveals a complex relationship between reality and invention, particularly within the onomastic fiction. Additionally, the onomastic choices of Lucanian poets and writers, which draw from the reality of the so-called peasant civilization, are still underexplored but certainly worth investigating. These include Rocco
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Giornate di studio su “(De)Constructing/Negotiating Identity through Language and Translation”
Organizzate da Ester Gendusa, Alessandra Rizzo e Marianna Lya Zummo 31 marzo 2025 Ore 8.00 – 10.00 Aula 3 – Edificio 19 Viale delle Scienze – Palermo Saluti istituzionali: Prof.ssa Concetta Giliberto Direttrice Dipartimento di Scienze Umanistiche Stefania Maci Professoressa ordinaria di Lingua e traduzione inglese Università degli Studi di Bergamo From Mansplaining to Revenge Porn: A Discourse Analysis Perspective 15 maggio 2025 Ore 8.00 – 10.00 Aula Magna Complesso monumentale Sant’Antonino – Palermo Saluti istituzionali: Prof.ssa Maria Grazia Sciortino Coordinatrice CdS in Lingue e letterature David Mark Katan Professore ordinario di Lingua e traduzione inglese Università del Salento Translating the Iceberg of Culture Comitato scientifico: Ester Gendusa, Alessandra Rizzo, Marianna Lya Zummo
Summer School in Translation Studies – 4th Edition – Authenticity, Adaptability, and AI: Balancing Trust in Translation and Intercultural Communication
Università Ca’ Foscari Venezia9th-13th June 202530 academic hours in 5 days CISET, Riviera SantaMargherita 76, Treviso To apply, fill in and submit this formhttps://forms.gle/J2FNDBcK73jzp4rg6 Application deadline: 1st May 2025. Admitted participants will be notified via email by 5th May 2025.Fees: 300 euros (includes 30 academic hours of tuition over 5 days, coffee breaks and lunches). This workshop will explore how authenticity is constructed in an era increasingly influenced by AI. While AI tools offer increased efficiency and accessibility, can they truly capture cultural depth without human input? Revisiting the concepts of trust and cultural adaptability, we will explore the perceived divide between technological and human performance. LECTURERSProf. Silvia Bernardini, University of Bologna, ItalyProf. Ilse Feinauer, University of Stellenbosch, South AfricaProf. Adriano Ferraresi, University of Bologna, ItalyProf. Federico Gaspari, Università Telematica San Raffaele of Rome, ItalyProf. David Katan, University of Salento, ItalyDr. Adrià Martín-Mor, Ph.D., California State University Long Beach, USProf. Loredana Polezzi, Stony Brook University, USProf. Anthony Pym, University of Melbourne, Australia; Distinguished Professor of Translation and Intercultural Studies at Universitat Rovira I Virgili, SpainProf. Andrea Rizzi, University of Melbourne, AustraliaProf. Giulia Togato, Ph.D., California State University Long Beach, US PARTICIPANTS8 places reserved for MA and PhD students from Advanced Schools recognised by the Italian Ministry. There is no fee and accommodation will be provided free of charge. Priority will be given to students working on their final theses.8 places for MA and PhD students from Ca’ Foscari University, which will be offered free of charge. Preference will be given to students working on their final thesis.20 places for participants from other national and international institutions: MA and PhD students in translation, interpreting, intercultural communication, cultural studies, and related disciplines; trainers, researchers and professionals with academic backgrounds in these fields.
“Débats sur le débat”
Thursday, March 20 at 3PM CET We are delighted to welcome Claudia Coppola & Andrea Rocci (University of Italian Switzerland, Lugano), Marcin Koszowy (Warsaw University of Technology) for a session on Linguistics and Polarisation. Thursday, March 20 at 3PM CET • Claudia COPPOLA & Andrea ROCCI (University of Italian Switzerland, Lugano): “Reasons of the Others: The Ecology of Counteargumentation and Concessions in Polylogical Online Discussions” • Marcin KOSZOWY (Warsaw University of Technology): “The Language of Polarisation: Issues, Mechanisms, Tendencies” Moderation: Paola Pietrandrea (University of Lille, STL & IUF) Zoom link [fr.zoom.us/j/91230895992?pwd=MxgrXruiRJiVF0XvZuN4lBxUkxpAJN.1]fr.zoom.us/j/91230895992?pwd=MxgrXruiRJiVF0XvZuN4lBxUkxpAJN.1Facebook Live at fb.olindinum/com
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The GenDJus Final Conference – (DE)CONSTRUCTING GENDER IN INTERNATIONAL JUDICIAL DISCOURSE: ACTORS, NORMS AND PRACTICES
16 – 17 October 2025 SSLMIT/IUSLIT, University of Trieste Call for Papers Key information • Conference date: Thursday 16 and Friday 17 October 2025 • Venue: SSLMIT/IUSLIT, University of Trieste, via Filzi 14, Trieste • Registration fee: none • Languages: English, Italian, Spanish • Submission deadline: 7 May 2025 • Notification of acceptance: 23 May 2025 The Department of Legal, Language, Translation and Interpreting Studies (IUSLIT) of the University of Trieste hosts a two-day international conference to explore gendered discursive practices in international judicial language and their consequences on the scope of human rights protections. The conference is the final event of the interdisciplinary research project “Rights and Prejudice: Linguistic and Legal Implications of Gendered Discourses in Judicial Spaces (GenDJus),” financed by the Italian Ministry of Education and the European Union (Next Generation EU funding scheme) [www.gendjus.it]. In the era of polarisation of debates, anti-gender movements, and populist anti-rights rhetoric, the power of language is clearer than ever. Sex, gender, gender identity, sexual orientation, and sex characteristics are among the most salient themes in those contexts, especially where these substantiate claims for individual protection. To this end, international human rights law constitutes one of the possible devices that societies deploy to ensure egalitarian values. But what does it mean to deal with gender through the language of human rights? How do international legal norms understand gender, and its connected categories? To what extent can international and EU legal actors, including judges, speak the language of human rights despite their possible personal prejudices, stereotypes and biases? How can gendered judicial discourse impact on the enjoyment of human rights? More broadly, what can make gender an analytical category to understand discursive constructions in international and EU judicial decisions? The conference will explore these and other questions about the premises and effects of gendered language in the practices of international and EU judicial actors. It will gather scholars working on gender in legal discourse across areas as diverse as linguistics, translation, law and, more generally, social sciences. Themes and topics We welcome abstracts addressing topics including, but not limited to, the following: – The reproduction of gender norms in judicial discourses – Exclusionary judicial narratives on gender and their impact on human rights – Peripheral existences and mainstream gender-related judicial interpretations – Prejudices, stereotypes and biases as enshrined in judgments on sexuality, reproduction, and parenthood – Anti-gender movements and theories in (and against) international and EU case law – Human rights rhetoric versus gender protections in international and EU decision-making – Legal silence and gender ‘outlaws’ in international and EU case law – Gender stereotyping in the language of human rights courts and judges – Constructions of gender identities in judicial discourse – Corpus linguistics approaches to gender stereotypes in judicial discourse – Queer linguistics approaches to human rights discourse – Critical discourse analysis applied to gender and human rights law – Gender bias in legal translation – The role of legal translation in conveying gendered narratives Submission guidelines Abstracts could be written in English, Italian and Spanish. They should not exceed 250 words and must be sent to info@gendjus.it, giovanna.gilleri@units.it and chiara.sarni@units.it by 7 May 2025 with the subject line “GenDJus Final Conference – Abstract proposal”. All abstracts should include a title, authors’ name, affiliation, short biosketch of the author(s), email address, five keywords and references (if relevant). Acceptance of papers will be notified to the presenting author(s) by 23 May 2025. Contact details For more information, please contact Giovanna Gilleri (giovanna.gilleri@units.it) and Chiara Sarni (chiara.sarni@units.it). Visit www.gendjus.it and follow us on Instagram (@gendjusproject). Organising and Scientific Committee Marco Balboni (University of Bologna), Emanuele Brambilla (University of Trieste), Carmelo Danisi (University of Bologna), Giovanna Gilleri (University of Trieste), Erika Miyamoto (University of Bologna), Giuseppe Pascale (University of Trieste), Katia Peruzzo (University of Trieste), Gianluca Pontrandolfo (University of Trieste), Francesca Ragno (University of Bologna), Chiara Sarni (University of Trieste). This conference is the final event (milestone 12) of the interdisciplinary research project “Rights and Prejudice: Linguistic and Legal Implications of Gendered Discourses in Judicial Spaces (GenDJus)” [P2022FNH9B / CUP J53D23017220001] financed by the Italian Ministry of Education and the European Union (Next Generation EU funding scheme); Piano Nazionale di Ripresa e Resilienza (PNRR) – Missione 4 “Istruzione e ricerca” – Componente 2 “Dalla ricerca all’impresa” – Investimento 1.1, Avviso Prin 2022 PNRR indetto con Decreto Direttoriale n. 1409 del 14 settembre 2022. https://www.gendjus.it/
Reading di poesie di Pat Parker e Grace Nichols
venerdì 21 marzo 2025, ore 19.00,CUT – Centro Universitario Teatrale (Piazza Università 13)Università di Catania In occasione della Giornata Mondiale della Poesia, venerdì 21 marzo 2025, alle ore 19.00, al CUT – Centro Universitario Teatrale (Piazza Università 13), si terrà Parole potenti di poete nere – Reading di poesie della poeta afroamericana Pat Parker (1944-1989) e della poeta guyanese Grace Nichols (1950-), per la prima volta tradotte in italiano. A cura di Stefania Arcara, Giovanna Buonanno e Nicoleugenia Prezzavento Coordinamento artistico – Nicoleugenia Prezzavento Voce – Sofia Caristia Suoni – Dario Sanguedolce L’evento è organizzato dal Centro Studi di Genere “Genus” del Dipartimento di Scienze Umanistiche, a conclusione delle Giornate di studio Genere / Testo / Performance nelle culture anglofone dagli anni ’70 a oggi (Disum, 20-22 marzo), nell’ambito del progetto PRIN “Between Text and Performance”. Ingresso libero fino a esaurimento posti. ENGLISH: On the occasion of World Poetry Day, on Friday 21 March 2025, at 7 p.m., at CUT – Centro Universitario Teatrale (Piazza Università 13, Catania), you can listen to Parole potenti di poete nere – Reading of poems by the African-American poet Pat Parker (1944-1989) and the Guyanese poet Grace Nichols (1950-), translated into Italian for the first time. Curated by Stefania Arcara, Giovanna Buonanno and Nicoleugenia Prezzavento Artistic coordination – Nicoleugenia Prezzavento Voice – Sofia Caristia Sound – Dario Sanguedolce The event is organised by the Centre for Gender Studies ‘Genus’ of the Department of Humanities at the University of Catania, at the conclusion of the Conference Genere / Testo / Performance nelle culture anglofone dagli anni ’70 a oggi (20-22 March). The event is part of the PRIN project ‘Between Text and Performance’.
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Giornate di studio su Genere / Testo / Performance nelle culture anglofone dagli anni ’70 a oggi
20-22 marzo 2025Aula 268, Monastero dei BenedettiniUniversità di Catania Giovedì 20 marzo 2025, alle 15.30, nell’Aula 268 del Monastero dei Benedettini, avranno inizio le Giornate di studio su Genere / Testo / Performance nelle culture anglofone dagli anni ’70 a oggi, organizzate dall’Unità di ricerca di Catania del progetto PRIN “Between Text and Performance. Race and Gender in Anglophone Literatures and Cultures (1970s-today)” e dal Centro Interdisciplinare Studi di Genere “Genus” del Dipartimento di Scienze Umanistiche. La relazione di apertura, dal titolo “Nominare, svelare, agire. Perché le categorie sociologiche di sesso, genere e razza disturbano tanto?” sarà tenuta dalla sociologa Sara Garbagnoli (Parigi). A seguire, gli interventi di angliste e americaniste provenienti dalle Università di Bologna, Modena e Reggio Emilia, Palermo, Roma Tre, Roma La Sapienza, e del Disum. L’evento ha il patrocinio dell’AIA – Associazione Italiana di Anglistica e dell’AISNA – Associazione Italiana di Studi Nord-Americani. Comitato scientifico e organizzativo: Stefania Arcara, Giovanna Buonanno, Salvatore Marano, Daphne Orlandi, Floriana Puglisi. ENGLISH The conference Genere / Testo / Performance nelle culture anglofone dagli anni ’70 a oggi will open on Thursday 20 March 2025, at 3.30 p.m., in Room 268 at Monastero dei Benedettini (Piazza Dante 32, Catania). The conference is organised by the Catania Research Unit of the PRIN project ‘Between Text and Performance. Race and Gender in Anglophone Literatures and Cultures (1970s-today)’ and by the Interdisciplinary Gender Studies Centre “Genus” of the Department of Humanities at the University of Catania. The opening paper, entitled ‘Naming, Unveiling, Acting. Why do the sociological categories of sex, gender and race disturb so much?’ will be given by sociologist Sara Garbagnoli (Paris). This will be followed by papers by scholars of English and American literature from the Universities of Bologna, Modena and Reggio Emilia, Palermo, Roma Tre, Roma La Sapienza, and Catania. The event has the patronage of the AIA – Italian Association of Anglistics and the AISNA – Italian Association of North American Studies. Scientific and organizing committee: Stefania Arcara, Giovanna Buonanno, Salvatore Marano, Daphne Orlandi, Floriana Puglisi.
#CallforApplications: Summer School in “Digital Humanities and Digital Communication: Integrating traditional and innovative tools”
University of Modena and Reggio EmiliaJune 3rd-6th, 2025 We are happy to announce the 7th edition of the Summer School in Digital Humanities and Digital Communication, which will be hosted by the Department of Studies on Language and Culture of the University of Modena and Reggio Emilia, in collaboration with the Fondazione Marco Biagi and with the patronage of AIA. As part of the Doctoral Programme in Human Sciences, the Summer School aims to provide PhD students and young researchers with methodological tools for the study of digital communication and data analysis. This year’s focus is on challenges and opportunities of integrating traditional methods with innovative tools, with topics ranging from digital resources for research in the humanities to the use of new information technologies for data analysis. The programme combines lectures by invited speakers and workshops where young researchers can present their work and get feedback from the invited speakers. Abstract submission deadline: March 28thNotification of acceptance: April 11th Date: June 3rd-6th, 2025Location: Modena, ItalyRegistration fee: € 100,00 Further information can be found here:https://www.summerschooldigitalhumanities.unimore.it/2025-edition/
Debating debate Seminar
Friday, March 7 at 3PM CET For the next session of the ✳︎Debating debate✳︎ Seminar, we are delighted to welcome Giuseppe BALIRANO (University of Naples L’Orientale), Selenia ANASTASI (University of Genoa and La Sapienza), Simo K. MÄÄTÄ (University of Helsinki) for a session on Linguistics and Gender Hate Speech. Moderation: Giuditta Caliendo (Université de Lille, STL) To participate on Zoom: https://univ-lille-fr.zoom.us/j/99763746323?pwd=K9rlUiI924ej1haQ4IQM2BFaDyKXDn.1
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