Semester 2

Intensive Seminar

Part 1 – An Introduction to Postcolonial Studies

Silvia Albertazzi (Università di Bologna)

January 26th to February 1st, 10 a.m – 2 p.m., room 1.26

The aim of my course is to introduce the students to Postcolonial Studies, in general, and Postcolonial Literatures, in particular.

The first part of the course will be devoted to questions of postcolonial theory such as:

1) Imperialism and the colonization of non-Western imagery; 2) Colonial textual models, and the literary processes in the colonies (from copy to assimilation; cultural anthropophagy; orality and writing; nation and narration); 3) Decolonization and postcoloniality (postcolonial textual models; problems of language, genres, history, canon; diaspora, identity and translation); 4) Postcolonial, postmodern and world literature.

Then, as a case study of postcolonial writing, I will examine Salman Rushdie’s novel Midnight’s Children in the light of cultural studies.

Part 2 – An Introduction to Translation Studies

Roberto Mulinacci (Università di Bologna)

May 25th to May 31st, 10 a.m – 2 p.m., room 1.26

This course explores the main theories and approaches that make up the current landscape of Translation Studies in relation to Comparative Literature. Although intended partly as a general introduction to World Literature for students who are beginners in this field, the course will focus on a particular set of topics concerning the significance of processes of translation in the postcolonial contexts, such as the role of translation in constructing and redefining identities of ex-colonial nations or as a general metaphor for postcolonial writing. Special attention will be paid to the ideological implications of translation as cultural transfer in the postcolonial Portuguese-speaking world.