March 14, 2025
The University of Manitoba, Winnipeg, Canada
We invite scholars, writers, and literary enthusiasts to submit proposals for the international conference Identity and Poetics of Ukrainian Canadian Literature.
Ukrainian Canadian literature occupies a unique space in the broader context of Canadian multiculturalism and diaspora studies. It is shaped by the historical and cultural experiences of Ukrainian immigrants and their descendants. Despite the substantial amount of fiction written and published in English by Canadian-born Ukrainians featuring authors such as Myrna Kostash, Janice Kulyk Keefer, Lisa Grecul, Marsha Forchuk Skrypuch, Maurice Mierau, Laisha Rosnau, Randall Maggs, Laura Langston, Daria Salamon, Lindy Ledohowski, Elizabeth Bachinsky, Erin Moure, Barbara Sapergia, Thomas Trofimuk, and many others Ukrainian Canadian literature remains largely invisible in university curricula, academic programs, and research. We hope that this conference will draw active attention to Ukrainian Canadian literature, highlighting its rich topicality, diverse genre, and poetic forms that not only preserve cultural heritage but also enrich Canadian literary tradition as a whole.
Possible Topics for Submission Include (but are not limited to):
- Memory and nostalgia in Ukrainian Canadian literature
- The Ukrainian Canadian identity in contemporary fiction and poetry
- Diaspora and transnationalism: Ukrainian Canadian literature in a global context
- Intersections of language, culture, and identity in Ukrainian Canadian writing
- Representation of historical events and collective memory in Ukrainian Canadian literature
- The impact of migration and settlement on literary expression
- Gender and feminist perspectives in Ukrainian Canadian literary works
- The Ukrainian folklore and mythology in Canadian literary contexts
- Comparative studies of Ukrainian Canadian literature and other ethnic literatures in Canada
- The role of Ukrainian Canadian literature in cultural preservation and resistance to assimilation
- The contribution of Ukrainian Canadian writers to Canadian multiculturalism
- Religious and spiritual themes in Ukrainian Canadian literature
- Ukrainian Canadian literary responses to political and social changes in Ukraine and Canada
We welcome proposals for papers, panel discussions, and roundtables. Submissions should include a title, an abstract (250-300 words), a brief bio (100 words), and contact information.
Submission Guidelines:
Please submit your proposals by February 15, 2025, to Prof. Mariya Shymchyshyn Ця електронна адреса захищена від спам-ботів. вам потрібно увімкнути JavaScript, щоб побачити її. or https://forms.office.com/r/QSrNq3xMQ3
Notifications of acceptance will be sent out by March 1, 2025.
This conference will offer a hybrid format, allowing participants to join either in person at the University of Manitoba or virtually.
