The Cartography of the Political Novel in Europe

03/06/2026

Dear followers,

we invite you to a 2-day symposium associated with the new Literature & Politics series (Oxford UP), co-edited by Janice Ho (UBC), Benjamin Kohlmann (Regensburg), and Matthew Taunton (UEA), which will be held at the University of Regensburg on 5-6 June. The symposium brings together a group of scholars in dialogue to address a political keyword from distinct theoretical perspectives and historical angles. Patrick Eiden-Offe, a Caponeu member, will also contribute a response.

The keywords explored at the upcoming symposium include: Pleasure, Infrastructure, Authoritarianism, Decolonization, Insurrection, and Work. The event will be livestreamed on Zoom, so please join if this is of interest. All times in the programme are in Central European Summer Time (GMT+2).

Literature and Politics 2026 Zoom link:

https://uni-regensburg.zoom-x.de/j/63007375332?pwd=c5zwpI22SnpBVadpntegye8GR2Qkzj.1
Meeting-ID: 630 0737 5332
Password: 569107

https://global.oup.com/academic/content/series/l/literature-and-politics-lpol/

13/05/2026

📣 Applications are still open for the doctoral school Socialism and the Sea 🌊
The programme focuses on the cultural, social, and political histories of socialism in maritime and coastal contexts, including tourism, leisure, everyday life, mobility, and the Adriatic as a space of exchange and transformation.
The application process is simple and does not require extensive documentation.
Doctoral students working on related topics are warmly encouraged to apply.
More information and application details:

https://www.unipu.hr/ckpis/en/doctoral_workshop/2026?fbclid=IwY2xjawRw__1leHRuA2FlbQIxMQBicmlkETBtNHFGQ2VpSHcyblNkakNKc3J0YwZhcHBfaWQQMjIyMDM5MTc4ODIwMDg5MgABHrqo9YNz9wgyO1zu7HTkXmMzVHws6uKFd6mcOo--9znJr2O1BtuRUPQ4DxEl_aem_Em_g7_B2tOZfkf2lDC6uFw

29/04/2026

👏 Big thanks to our Brighton colleagues for all the energy and work they’ve been putting into CAPONEU — a nice reminder of what’s been happening behind the scenes 💙
🎥 Recordings from our CAPONEU Fictions of the Family Workshop (University of Brighton, 19 November 2025) are now available on the CAPONEU YouTube channel ▶️
🗣️ Clare Hemmings — Professor of Feminist Theory at the London School of Economics (LSE) — explores family narratives in a reflective conversation:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sSAkPHkGuSI
💬 Bea Hitchman (novelist & Lecturer in Creative Writing, University of Brighton) and Craig Jordan-Baker (writer & researcher, University of Brighton) discuss family, endings, and the promise of happiness:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZMbtd9WHqAI

27/04/2026

A busy and productive week for the CAPONEU team! 📚✨
While part of our consortium was in Poznań for the conference, work in Zagreb continued with the workshop Lektira izvan okvira (Reading Beyond the Canon), held on Friday, 24 April. Conceived and coordinated by Ana Tomljenović, Andrea Milanko, and Igor Medić, the session brought together students, PhD candidates, and school teachers, who also presented their own work and collaborated on developing new reading materials and teacher guides for schools.
From conference halls to classrooms, ideas kept moving. 💡
A big thank you to all participants for their energy, insights, and contributions! 🙌

27/04/2026

📢 Last week (22–24 April 2026), we wrapped up the fourth annual CAPONEU Conference in Poznań! 📚✨
The conference, “The Political Novel in Europe Between Democracy and Authoritarianism,” brought together scholars, writers, and policymakers to explore how literature engages with the ever-complicated dance between democracy and authoritarianism.
With a lively mix of academic panels and public conversations with writers, we kept theory and practice not just in the same room, but in active conversation. 💬
👏 Big thanks to the AMU team for the smooth organisation, warm welcome, and for keeping everything running more smoothly than most of the political systems we discussed. 😉
And of course, thank you to everyone who joined, presented, debated, and kept the questions coming! 📖

20/04/2026

📢 Join us this week right here in Poznań for the annual CAPONEU Conference! 📚✨
We are thrilled to invite you to the "Conference: Political Novel in Europe Between Democracy and Authoritarianism".

🗓️ When: 22-24 April 2026 📍 Where: Adam Mickiewicz University, Poznań

Why is there a constant need to examine politics through the lens of the novel? Historically, this unique literary form has proven highly effective in illuminating the complex relationship between pro-democratic and pro-authoritarian tendencies. This is why the Political Novel in Europe (PNE) will be the focal point of our conference—serving as a vital aesthetic space where the tension between these opposing political impulses is constantly revealed, embodied, and rigorously debated.

To comprehensively explore these dynamics, the event bridges the gap between theory and practice. The program features both formal academic panels and engaging public meetings with acclaimed writers.

Don't forget to check out the conference program and more details on our official website:

Location: The Faculty of Polish and Classical Philology AMU (Fredry 10, Poznań)Organized by: Tomasz Mizerkiewicz, Krystyna Pieniążek-Marković, Anna Gawarecka, Ewa Szperlik, Magda Potok, Błażej Warkocki, Gerard Ronge (all Adam Mickiewicz University in Poznań)Contact: [email protected]

10/04/2026

Today, we continued our workshop on Political Novel Lesson Plans (WP7 Political Novel in Action) 📚
Building on yesterday’s discussions, teachers from the UK 🇬🇧, Croatia 🇭🇷, Germany 🇩🇪, and Poland 🇵🇱 further refined their lesson plans and exchanged ideas 💬
A big thank you to all literature teachers for shaping critical thinking and keeping the social relevance of education alive 🙏
A great way to wrap up two days of shared learning 🔄✨

10/04/2026

Yesterday, we completed the first day of our workshop on Political Novel Lesson Plans (WP7 Political Novel in Action) 📚
Organised by our colleague Karin Doolan and hosted by the Institute for Social Research in Zagreb (IDIZ), the workshop brought together secondary school teachers from the UK 🇬🇧, Croatia 🇭🇷, Germany 🇩🇪, and Poland 🇵🇱.
Teachers shared their experiences and presented lesson plans, while discussions throughout the day enabled an exchange of ideas, questions, and collegial feedback 💬
Back at it today—more ideas, more discussion, and more collaboration ahead 🔄✨

09/04/2026

We started the final sprint today in the development of the CAPONEU digital platform 🚀, led by Slobodna domena. Looking forward to bringing it across the finish line 💻

05/03/2026

https://www.facebook.com/share/14Wh7ea8sfv/

📢 Call for Papers

The 2nd NEOLAiA International Conference on Narrating (Hi)Stories in Decentring Europe will take place at the University of Nicosia on 24–25 September 2026.

This interdisciplinary conference explores how plurilingual voices, storytelling, and new forms of mediation are reshaping the way we understand Europe.

Theme
Plurilingual Futures: Voices, Practices, and Reimagining Europe

We invite scholars from across disciplines to submit papers exploring topics such as:

📚 Narratives, memory, and storytelling
🌍 Plurilingualism and knowledge production
🤖 AI, language, and authority
🎓 Multilingual education in higher education
🔤 Translation and translanguaging practices

How to submit

• 200-word abstract + 4–6 keywords
• Short bio (60–70 words)
• Conference languages: English, Spanish, French
• Email submissions to [email protected]

⏳ Deadline: 13 April 2026

📅 Important dates
• Abstract submissions: Mar 2 – Apr 13
• Acceptance announcement: Apr 24
• Early bird registration: Apr 25 – Jul 17
• Late registration: Jul 18 – Sep 15

More information: https://neolaiacampus.eu/event/plurilingual-futures-voices-practices-and-reimagining-europe/

👉 Tag colleagues who might be interested!