CALL FOR PAPERS
 

“Those who restrain desire do so because theirs is weak enough to be restrained.” ― William Blake, The Marriage of Heaven and Hell

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As William Blake utters in his lines, desire has been one of the most inspiring and powerful force for humanity. It excites the soul, drives human actions, and triggers both good and evil, opening the gates of both heaven and hell. It is such a powerful source that it inflames the mind and pushes the limits of imagination. Harbouring the kernel of many ideas, it has been the source of inventions and revolutions throughout history. It therefore stands at the very core of our lives and constitutes a big part of what makes us human.

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The Departments of English Language and Literature & American Culture and Literature proudly present their 10th International Undergraduate Symposium (IUS) entitled “Desire” in literature and culture. The main goal of IUS is not only to bring together the undergraduate students to provide them with a platform for exchanging ideas but also to offer an early academic participation via this unique experience. The 10th IUS will mainly focus on the different approaches towards the element of desire in literature, language, history, popular culture and fine arts. Possible topics include, but are not limited to:

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• Humankind, Desire and Imagination

• Desire for Freedom

• Utopias & Dystopias

• Desire and Death

• Desire and Apocalypse

• The Politics of Desire

• Myths and Desire

• Desire and Art

• The Forbidden & The Object of Desire

• Desire and Fragmentation

• Gender and Desire

• History, Politics and Desire

• Body Politics and Desire

• Dreams and Desire