CFP: Queer Life-Writing in Russia and Beyond

Deadline: April 5, 2021

CALL FOR PAPERS

Special Issue of AvtobiografiЯ 2022- Queer Life-Writing in Russia and Beyond
Guest edited by Connor Doak (Bristol)

This special issue of AvtobiografiЯ investigates the poetics of queer life-writing in Russian. What does a queer text in Russian look like? How do queer writers make use of, appropriate, or transform existing forms and genres? How does the queer Russian text evolve over time? How has the queer Russian text developed alongside, and responded to, queer texts that have come into Russia from other cultures? How has the evolution of literary forms and genres in Russian culture, as well as the evolution of information technologies, shaped the poetics of queer life-writing? Note that we have nearly reached our full complement of contributors, but we are seeking one or two further articles, particularly on bisexual and lesbian life-writing.

We invite contributions from scholars working of all time periods, from medieval to contemporary. In line with the journal, we take a broad view of ‘life-writing’ and ‘text’: we are happy to consider contributions on autobiography, ego-texts, prose of any kinds, poetry, and — providing they are demonstrably ego-texts — drama and film. We also take an inclusive, transnational view of what counts as a ‘Russian’ text (e.g. this includes texts from the Russian diaspora – hence ‘Russia and beyond’ – as well as from the non-Russian peoples within the Russian Empire/Soviet Union). ‘Queer’ is defined broadly too, to mean any non-normative sexuality or gender expression, including those who define within or outside the LGBTQ+  spectrum.

Confirmed contributors so far include Brian Baer, Vitaly Chernetsky, Claudia Criveller, Connor Doak, Charlotte Dowling, Kadence Wai Leung, and Margarita Vaysman.

At this point, we already have several contributors working on gay men, and two contributions on trans* topics. However, we are still seeking contributors who would like to propose an article on bisexual or lesbian life-writing.

For questions or more information, contact connor.doak@bristol.ac.uk

If you are working in these fields, and are interested in contributing, send a title and abstract (300 words) to connor.doak@bristol.ac.uk by 5 April 2021.

Article manuscripts (c. 8000 words) will be due 31 December 2021. Articles should be in English, Russian, or Italian, the three working languages of the journal.