[ Call for Papers | Applications ]

The Department of Czech and Comparative Literature, Faculty of Arts, Charles University, Prague (Ústav české literatury a literární vĕdy Filozofické fakulty Univerzity Karlovy v Praze) and the Austrian Cultural Forum in Prague (Österreichisches Kulturforum Prag) are calling for papers for an international conference;

The Landscape without Qualities.
Literature and Central Europe

held on October 23 - 25, 2007 in Prague, Czech Republic, at the Austrian Cultural Forum in Prague (Jungmannovo nám. 18, Praha 1) and the Faculty of Arts, Charles University, Prague (nám. Jana Palacha 2, Praha 1).
Please, submit your applications with the specification of your topic (title, 300 words abstract) via e-mail to:

• Doc. PhDr. Petr A. Bílek or
• Mgr. Tomáš Dimter,

or in writing addressed to:

Ústav české literatury a literární vĕdy
Filozofické fakulty
Univerzity Karlovy
nám. Jana Palacha 2
116 38 Praha 1
Czech Republic

marking "The Landscape without Qualities" on the envelope.

Deadline for applications is June 30, 2007.

The conference is sponsored through a grant project under the Ministry of Education, Youth and Sports „Central European Comparative Studies“ and is aimed at analyses and interpretations of key issues and entities of Central European field of culture, coined as an imaginary cultural community. All topics from the sphere of Central European literature and culture are welcome, including theoretical conceptualizations of the term Central Europe. The conference should throw a new light on research and teaching academic processes connected to the region and theme of Central Europe.

The papers are going to be divided into thematic clusters. Official languages of the conference are: Czech, German, and English. The conference will begin October 23 with its evening opening speeches. The program will run through October 24 and 25 in distinct topic-oriented sections. Detailed program as well as background activities will be specified after the completion of announced papers. There is no conference fee. However, the financial background of the conference does not allow us to cover travel and accommodation expenses.

Amongst those who promised to participate at the conference, are the names of Prof. Peter Demetz (Yale University), Prof. Wendelin Schmidt-Dengler (Universität Wien), Prof. Hans Höller (Universität Salzburg). Amongst those addressed to participate are also Prof. Claudio Magris (Università di Trieste), Dr. Lázsló Földényi (University of Budapest), writer and essayist Karl-Markus Gauss (Salzburg) and others.

The proceedings from the conference should be published in a book form dedicated to the 85th birthday of Prof. Peter Demetz.

Written essays (in Word or RTF; by October 1, 2007, preferably in English or German) as well as any inquiries about the conference should be e-mailed to:

• Doc. PhDr. Petr A. Bílek (chair of the Department of Czech and Comparative Literature) or
• Mgr. Tomáš Dimter (executive conference coordinator),