Writing, the State, and the Rise of Neo-Nationalism

Historical Contexts and Contemporary Concerns

An international, interdisciplinary conference to explore writing and the nation

Saturday, June 30, 2018
43 Harrington Gardens, London, SW7 4JU

In January 1868, John William De Forest took to the pages of The Nation with a call that would resound over the next century and a half: the writing of the “Great American Novel.” In so doing, he asserted both the shaping force of the nation on the arts, and the importance of the arts for the national imaginary. On the sesquicentennial of De Forest’s essay, the College of General Studies at Boston University hosted an interdisciplinary conference to explore the broader intersection of writing and the nation.

Keynote Address: The conference featured a keynote address by Daniel Karlin, Winterstoke Professor of English at the University of Bristol.

Conference Schedule: A list of panels and a complete conference schedule can be found here.

The conference is grateful for funding and administrative support from Boston University College of General Studies, the Center for Interdisciplinary Teaching & Learning, and from Boston University–London.