International Conference "Literary Canon Formation as Nation-building in Central and Eastern Europe (19th to Early 20th Century)"
Call for Papers for the International Conference "Literary Canon Formation as Nation-building in Central and Eastern Europe (19th to Early 20th Century)" on 3–4 May, 2018 in Vilnius at Institute of Lithuanian Literature and Folklore.
Sharing a common culture is one of the most solid grounds for acquiring a sense of community.
During the rise of modern nations, literature had an important role in consolidating national
communities and shaping their values, even becoming the medium through which the identity of
a national community is formed. Literary works of various genres took part in the collective
imagining of national communities. Thus, a constant need in Central and Eastern Europe of the
19th and early 20th century was to define the national literature and form the national literary
canon, and it was directly related to the development of national conscience and cultural selfconsciousness.
The national literary canon, which would be established and promoted by
institutions of education, research, criticism and publishing, would function as an important and
influential instrument in creating national cultural identity and shaping historical memory.
