CALL FOR PAPERS

FIRST INTERNATIONAL TZVETAN TODOROV CONFERENCE IN
HONOUR OF HIS 65TH BIRTHDAY

'Tzvetan Todorov and the Future of the Human Sciences'

24-27 June 2004

Bakhtin Centre, University of Sheffield, UK

Tzvetan Todorov, who has gradually emerged as a leading
intellectual figure in Europe, has consistently refused enclosure in
established disciplines, and has approached human experience
from a variety of angles. The clarity of his style and accessibility of
his thought enhance the unifying perspective he has adopted within
the human sciences. A growing trend in the humanities today
consists, precisely, in questioning the boundaries erected between
the various disciplines of the human sciences and in addressing the
need for research in the humanities to develop in new directions. It
is our belief that critical theory should provide the platform for this
debate rather than remaining at a 'theoretical second remove' and
commenting only after the fact. It therefore appears imperative to
create a forum for discussion of the works and thought of Tzvetan
Todorov in a manner that would bridge the divides between
academic disciplines, considering that Todorov is an outstanding
exemplar of what has been achieved in overcoming disciplinary
boundaries, and of the potential that still remains for doing so.

The conference proposes to assess the position and contribution of
Tzvetan Todorov's thought to the human sciences and to evaluate
the potential of his concept of 'critical humanism' as an alternative
to theory. Therefore, the conference seeks to bring together
scholars from various disciplines who engage with Todorov's work
and to foster cross-disciplinary thought in the humanities (critical
theory, literature, history, philosophy, philosophical anthropology,
semiotics.) with a view to publishing at least one thematically
focused volume of articles.

TZVETAN TODOROV will give a public lecture in the French
Embassy Lecture Series on 26 June 2004 and will participate in a
roundtable with the conference participants on 27 June.

Keynote speakers include:
Stoyan ATANASSOV (University of Sofia) on 'Todorov or the
Dialogical Self at the Crossroads of Cultures';
Frances FERGUSON (Johns Hopkins University) on 'Tzvetan
Todorov on Narratives and Societies';
Eugene GOODHEART (Brandeis University) on 'Todorov, Berlin,
Kolakowski and Me';
Robert ZARETSKY (University of Houston) on 'Uncommon
Histories: An Evening with Jean-Jacques Rousseau at the Drury
Lane Theatre'.

Papers addressing one or more of the following areas will be
especially welcome:
-cross-disciplinarity as the future of the human sciences
-critical humanism: new form of humanism or well-tempered
liberal humanism ?
-literature as privileged medium for understanding human
experience
-ethical approaches to history
-'exemplary narrative' as an original contribution to critical
theory
-Todorov's contribution to holocaust studies
-Todorov as European intellectual
-historical and/or contemporary sources of or influences on
Todorov's thought (for ex. Rousseau, Constant, Bakhtin,
Ferry, .)
-crossing cultures : translating Todorov, Todorov in
translation, etc.

Papers addressing other issues related to the general aims of the
conference and proposals for panels (see guidelines below) are
encouraged.

Papers will be organised in panels of 3 lasting 90 minutes. Each
paper should last 20-25 minutes (maximum) in order to leave
adequate time for discussion.
Advance posting of abstracts, or even full papers, on the
conference website is envisaged.

Publication:
A selection of the papers presented will be considered for
publication in a special issue of The Canadian Review of
Comparative Literature.

Abstracts:
Please send 300-word abstracts by e-mail attachment in RTF or
Word format to k.zbinden@sheffield.ac.uk by 30 September
2003. Proposals for panels should include title of panel, names and
institutional affiliations of chair and three panellists with abstracts
and name of discussant if appropriate.

Please consult the conference website for updated information at
http://www.shef.ac.uk/uni/academic/A-C/bakh/homeconf.html and
address any query to the conference organisers (Karine Zbinden
and David Shepherd): by e-mail (k.zbinden@sheffield.ac.uk
or d.g.shepherd@sheffield.ac.uk) or by post to:

Tzvetan Todorov Conference
Bakhtin Centre
Arts Tower, fl. 8
University of Sheffield
Sheffield S10 2TN, UK.

Please pass on this information to anybody you know who may
be interested.


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Bakhtin Centre
Floor 8, Arts Tower
University of Sheffield
Sheffield S10 2TN, England
Tel.: +44 (0)114 222 7415
Tel.: +44 (0)114 222 7400
E-mail: Bakhtin.Centre@Sheffield.ac.uk
URL: http://www.shef.ac.uk/uni/academic/A-C/bakh/bakhtin.html

Director: Professor David Shepherd
Lecturer: Dr Craig Brandist
SNF Research Fellow: Dr Karine Zbinden
Honorary Research Fellows: Dr Colin Gardner, Mr Jonathan Hall
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