International Irish literature conference comes to Canada for first time
A global array of scholars with a keen interest in the history and culture of Ireland will descend on Montreal for a five-day conference at Concordia University beginning Monday, July 30.
The International Association of the Study of Irish Literatures (IASIL) is holding its 36th annual conference in Montreal for the very first time as a result of Concordia’s offer to host the event.
Titled Weighing Words: Interdisciplinary Engagements with and within Irish Literatures, it will explore the relationship of literature to visual and material culture, to landscapes and the built environment, and to the methodologies of other disciplines in the humanities and social sciences.
“We expect more than 150 delegates from around the world to be in attendance this year, including scholars from Brazil, Japan, Egypt, the United States, and, of course, Ireland,” says Michael Kenneally, principal of Concordia’s School of Canadian Irish Studies.
“This event is an important landmark for Concordia’s Irish studies program, and equally important for the Irish community in Montreal, as bring a distinguished group of scholars in Irish literary studies to the university, and will feature a whole week of readings, book exhibits and book signings open to the public,” he says.
Kenneally is the conference’s co-organizer along with Rhona Richman Kenneally, outgoing chair of the Department of Design and Computation Arts, and Susan Cahill, an assistant professor with the School of Canadian Irish Studies.
Irish writers read at Concordia — open to the public
Renowned Canadian-Irish novelist Jane Urquhart will read Monday, July 30, at 6:00 p.m. Prize-winning short-story writer and novelist Kevin Barry from Limerick, Ireland, will read on Tuesday, July 31, at 1:30 p.m., along with award-winning poet Leontia Flynn from Northern Ireland.
Irish novelist Anne Enright, winner of 2007 Man Booker Prize along with other distinguished awards, will read on Thursday, August 2, at 6 p.m., along with Dublin author Claire Kilroy, whose awards include the Rooney Prize for Irish Literature.
The readings are open to the public and will be held at the John Molson School of Business Building, BMO Amphitheatre (1450 Guy St., Room MB 1.210).
Irish and Quebec music cultures will converge on Tuesday, July 31, at 7:30 p.m. during a masters concert at the Grey Nuns Chapel (1190 Guy St.). The concert will feature the talents of Canadian Celtic fiddler Pierre Schryer, Quebec step dancer Martine Billette, and world-renowned musician Gearóid Ó hAllmhuráin, who is also the Johnson Chair in Quebec and Canadian Irish Studies at Concordia. The event is open to the public and tickets are $20.
Delegates are also offered a two-day post-conference tour to Quebec City and Grosse-ÎIe, the island in the St. Lawrence associated with the tragic Irish immigration of 1847. Some members of the public are joining the delegates on this tour, which still has a few remaining places.
For ticket information, contact Matina Skalkogiannis at 514-848-2424, ext. 8711.
Related Links:
• 2012 IASIL Conference
• International Association For the Study of Irish Literatures
• Ticket office for the masters concert on July 31
• Johnson Chair in Quebec and Canadian Irish Studies
• Concordia’s School of Canadian Irish Studies
• Concordia’s Department of Design and Computation Arts