ILFA researchers in the BASEES conference at the University of Birmingham

Researchers from the ILFA UL — Kārlis Vērdiņš, Jānis Ozoliņš, Ieva Melgalve, and Elvis Friks — are participating in the BASEES conference in the United Kingdom, presenting papers in two panels on public discourse and contemporary literature within the framework of the project “Anti-genderism Discourse in the Public Sphere and Literature of Latvia (ANTI-MOB)".

BASEES is the United Kingdom’s national scholarly association bringing together researchers focused on Eastern Europe, russia, and the former Soviet Union. The association’s annual conference typically takes place each spring in Cambridge, attracting 600–700 participants from the UK, continental Europe, North America, and Asia.

This year, the conference is being held at the University of Birmingham from April 10 to 12. During the conference, researchers also gain valuable insights into highly topical issues, including the roots and impact of populism in the public and political sphere, illiberalism, the threats of authoritarianism, and feminist and queer issues in potentially hostile environments.