VOICING THE COMMUNITY:
QUESTIONING GENDER AND RACE IN FRENCH AND FRANCOPHONE LITERATURE
A conference funded by the HRC (Humanities Research Centre), University of Warwick and the Society for
French Studies
This conference took place at the University of Warwick on 4th February 2012 and took a stylistic approach to
reconsider the concept of community in conjunction with questions of race and gender. Papers successfully
ranged from the Middle Ages to the present day and the event united international scholars at different
stages of their careers, whilst greatly benefitting from plenary sessions by both Dr Sophie Marnette (Baliol
College Oxford) and French author Pavel Hak.
The first plenary by Dr Marnette introduced the major conference themes of vocal representation and
community formation. Through the medium of the medieval French fabliaux, the roles and treatments of
women’s voices were highlighted and positioned in relation to both literary and social convention. The first
panel then followed with an exploration of gay and political communities and comprised papers by Justine
Legrand (Université de la Sorbonne), Rosie Maclachlan (Trinity College Dublin) and Dr Julie Rodgers (NUI
Maynooth). The session addressed issues of genre and authorial identification, as well as issues of narrative
invisibility and the appropriation of literary space. At this point of the day, high drama ensued with the
interruption of a fire alarm and subsequent evacuation of the building (no doubt caused by the generation of
such intellectual energy!) The programme subsequently resumed with the second plenary session in the
form of an interview with author Pavel Hak, where discussion concentrated upon questions of identification in
his own representations of community and the potential of the literary text to trouble such processes. The
final session was entitled ‘Layering Voices’ and offered a paper by Dr Armelle Blin-Rolland (University of
Bath) on the interaction of visual and literary manifestations of Célinian female voices and finally a paper by
Dr Caroline Kelley (IUT de St-Cloud) which situated racial communities in relation to textual métissage in Le
Cow-boy. Despite the developing adverse weather conditions, the event was attended by academics and
students alike from across the UK, as well as undergraduate students. Papers provoked stimulating
questions and lively discussion continued to ensue during breaks (and impromptu exile). The organisers
wish to thank above all the generous support of the HRC at Warwick and Society for French Studies.
Victoria Turner and Virginie Sauzon, HRC Doctoral Fellows, Department of French Studies