Research project
Women Writers Route
The International Foundation Forum of Slavic Cultures is the initiator and organizer of the new cultural route of the Council of Europe, dedicated to the European women writers. Women writers pre-empted gender quality, as we know it and respect today, set by Universal Declaration of Human Rights, by the European Convention on Human Rights and recently, by the PEN Charter and Women’s Manifesto.
The Women Writers Route will bring into the limelight the outstanding life stories and literary works, which marked the struggle for human and women’s rights in the 20th century. Their uniqueness and role in the history and cultural heritage of the entire Slavic and European region was important, yet never truly recognized.
The Women Writers Route is an extremely narrative way of revealing their life and creativity. It links the symbolic and physical points of their lives and work between museums, memorial rooms, reading rooms, public monuments, cafes and other public spaces. In addition to the scientific and cultural field, the road will also enrich local communities and tourist attractions, creative industry, gastronomy and cultural tourism.
Scientific volume entitled Defiant Trajectories: Mapping out Slavic Women Writers Routes sheds light on various aspects of the work and life stories of nine women writers and poets from the Slavic world: Marija Jurić Zagorka and Ivana Brlić Mažuranić from Croatia, Divna Veković from Montenegro, famous Russian authors Anna Akhmatova, Marina Tsvetaeva and Zinaida Gippius, Maria Konopnicka from Poland, Jelena Dimitrijević from Serbia and Slovenian Zofka Kveder. Papers in the volume, which are extended research papers presented at the conference Women Writers at the Turn of 19th and 20th Century, organized by the FSK 2019 in Ljubljana, are connected by a common thread of crossing actual and symbolic boundaries set for women, and especially creative women, by the social norms of their time. “Therefore, mapping the paths of women writers is not only creating maps, which we then follow and by doing so enrich and deepen our knowledge of female literary authorship, but what is more, by following their footsteps we celebrate women’s strength, innovation, and creativity,” wrote the editors of the volume Biljana Dojčinović, Maša Grdešić and Katja Mihurko Poniž in the introduction to the book. The authors will present the proceedings at an online event at the end of March.
Why new cultural route?
Because the Women Writers Route will:
- Open brand-new pages of the European cultural and democratic history;
- Enable and broaden rich scientific, cultural and tourist exploration of women’s literature in the context of European history, identity and values;
- Enhance visibility, significance, contribution and reputation of women writers to European culture and European history of human rights and democracy;
- Offer inspirational presentations, dynamic stories and attractive cultural and tourist content;
- Encourage constructive thought, initiate public debate and strengthen democratic practice
- Include access to heritage that is far more experiential and active than a passive approach in creating experiences, training and socialization.
JOIN IN!
Join the Women Writers Route and help us shed a new light on the valuable contribution of women writers to European history and culture. Become a friend or a member of the network, support women literary heritage and enjoy a range of unique activities and benefits.
Feel free to contact us!
source: Women Writers Route – Forum of Slavic Cultures (fsk.si)
Information
See also
Unveiling the Heritage: Krystyna Bednarczyk (1923–2011) – Polish Poet and Co-Founder of Poets and Painters' Press in London
The project of the Union of Polish Writers Abroad in London, implemented mainly by the Research Center on the Legacy of Polish Migration (ReCeLPM), goes beyond the academic aspect. Its aim is not only to deepen knowledge of the emigrant legacy of Krystyna Bednarczyk and the London-based Poets and Painters' Press, but also to promote cross-generational and intercultural dialogue between Poles living abroad and the local community. An essential part of the project is to raise awareness of ethnic minority identity and the role of women in culture and society.
Polish Studies and the challenges of the modern world
The psychological and social consequences of the problems of the modern world, including the COVID-19 pandemic and wars, have influenced the development of a new approach to the individual, facing a sense of social isolation, exclusion and loneliness, in a world that is indistinct, impenetrable, and requires the creation of new meanings. The elderly and the disabled – but also young – are particularly vulnerable to loneliness. This is accompanied by an increase in ecological consciousness and the development of a new approach to nature (such as the ecological disaster on the Oder river in 2022), as well as a deeper reflection on the removal of technological and architectural barriers. Using the available research resources of humanities and the diagnoses they have already made allows us to look for answers to these contemporary problems by focusing on human subjectivity and individuality, on regaining bonds, interpersonal contacts and a sense of identity, as well as on respecting the principles of open access and inclusiveness in the surrounding world.
TRIPLE (Targeting Researchers through Innovative Practices and multiLingual Exploration)
The European Commission will finance the project TRIPLE (Targeting Researchers through Innovative Practices and multiLingual Exploration) under the Horizon 2020 framework with approx. 5,6 million Euros for a duration of 42 months. TRIPLE will be a dedicated service of the OPERAS research infrastructure and will become a strong service in the EOSC marketplace. TRIPLE will help social sciences and humanities (SSH) research in Europe to gain visibility, to be more efficient and effective, to improve its reuse within the SSH and beyond, and to dramatically increase its societal impact. Work is expected to start this fall.
Norwid in Great Britain
Cyprian Norwid proved to be an unexpected challenge - and call - to Polish literature and culture. Despite more than a century of reading and interpretation, he has not been fully defined as a man and an artist; moreover, in many respects he is still an enigma to us. The focus of our interest remains, broadly speaking, three perspectives that show Norwid as a man, an artist and an emigrant.