Trinity College Dublin
Organised by: Manuela di Franco and Clodagh Brook
July 11-12, 2024
The study of comics as an interdisciplinary field has surged in recent years. Studies like Stein, Denson, and Meyer (2013) have examined how graphic narratives have overcome national boundaries and connected with global culture from a visual, literary, and cultural perspective. More recently, Comberiati, and Spadaro (2023) have investigated Italian comics and their transnationality, introducing the specificities of the Italian fumetto to a field still focused on (and dominated by) anglophone comics. The study of transnational Italian comics reveals the symbiotic relationship between national and global cultures and sheds light on the discursive power that the medium of comics had in shaping modern Italian popular culture.
The 5th Interdisciplinary Italy Summer School aims to contribute to the flourishing field of Comics Studies and actively engage with the study of Italian fumetti and their global cultural exchange. The study of Italian comics allows for a reflection on how transnational interactions can shape national culture and create a cultural product that combines both local and global contents.
Through lectures and hands-on workshops, the next summer school enables you to acquire the tools to interpret comics, understand their transnationality, and approach Italian popular culture from an overlooked perspective. By the end of the summer school, you will have acquired hands-on experience in the analysis of comics and a deeper understanding of how Italian culture has been shaped by an increasingly globalised context.
We welcome PhD candidates and Postdocs working in any field of Italian culture.
The Summer School is entirely free of charge.
Confirmed keynote speaker: Prof Nancy Pedri (Memorial University of Newfoundland)
To apply, please send a 150-250 word motivation statement and short bio (100 words) to Manuela.difranco@ugent.be by 30 April.