Transitions and transformations - exploring creativity in literary and everyday language

本系列研讨会探讨了一个已经开始引起英语语言，文学和相关领域研究人员兴趣的想法：文学语言和日常口头艺术之间存在某种连续性。根据这一论点，文学性或艺术性的概念不仅可以延伸到专业制作的文本，如广告文案，而且可以延伸到更常规的语言使用实例。语言不仅仅是--也许甚至主要不是--关于思想的交流。在一系列体裁中，说话者和作家创造性地与语言互动，最常规的交流可能需要，至少部分地，审美反应。最近对日常语言艺术的本质和功能的见解来自对包含数百万单词的语言使用的大型电子语料库的研究。这可能会增加证据从定性研究的语言互动，民族志的语言和识字的做法，多模态文本分析。这类研究揭示了一系列类似文学的实践：游戏语言、比喻语言、对话故事、日常表演、涂鸦和其他视觉文本中的跨模式游戏，以及设计新的识字实践以适应不断变化的社会和文化环境。虽然这类研究本身很有趣，但也提出了理论和方法上的挑战。我们是否需要一个更有活力的文学或类似文学的语言使用模式，跨越这一系列的文本和实践？我们如何解决价值问题？我们能否设计出一种更具包容性的社会行为，它包含了各种各样的实践，并与源自经典文献的传统观念形成鲜明对比？另一方面，将不同的文本和实践捆绑在一个单一的美学框架内是否有危险？我们还需要承认文学的独特性吗？该系列研讨会将汇集来自不同传统的研究人员-语言学，包括文体学和社会语言学;文学和创意写作;人类学;扫盲研究;媒体和文化研究;广告和公共关系。我们还打算让一些相关领域的从业者参与进来，比如那些认为自己在处理和改变日常语言的诗人，以及广告和公关专业人士。通常，在这些学科界限内进行详细讨论的范围有限。研讨会的目的是鼓励思想的交流，并在一系列语言实践中发展对文学活动的新理解。我们将在四个研讨会中探讨以下广泛的主题：文学的民主化？(How文学语言或类似文学的语言是否在广泛的文本和实践中起作用？）时间、空间与混杂（历史、地理和文化方面;全球和地方做法;混合和变化）;模式和结构（多模态文本分析对我们理解文学性/艺术性的贡献）;文学转型（个人灵感与文学创作的社会性;文本转换，翻译和重写）。研讨会的目的是鼓励共同探索的想法，但是，我们仍有机会取得共识。每个研讨会将包括主要发言者的发言，以及旨在鼓励讨论的答辩人的发言。虽然我们已经在整个系列设定了广泛的主题，我们也将回应出现的关键思想。该系列的成果将包括艺术AHRC;编辑收集;提交给评审期刊。该系列还旨在研究活动，建立长期网络和研究资金的建议。不太明显的是，该系列将扩大目前对文学和日常口头艺术之间关系的思考的界限。

This seminar series explores an idea that has begun to interest researchers in English language, literature and related fields: that there is some continuity between the language of literature and more everyday verbal artistry. According to this argument, notions of literariness or artistry may extend not just to professionally produced texts, such as advertising copy, but to more routine instances of language use. Language is not simply­ perhaps not even mainly- about the communication of ideas. Across a range of genres speakers and writers interact creatively with language, and the most routine communication may demand, at least in part, an aesthetic response. Recent insights into the nature and functions of everyday linguistic artistry have come from the study of large electronic corpora containing several million words of language use. To this may be added evidence from the qualitative study of language in interaction, ethnographies of language and literacy practices, multimodal textual analyses. Such research has uncovered a range of literary-like practices: playful language, figurative language, conversational stories, everyday performances, play across modes in graffiti and other visual texts, the design of new literacy practices to fit changing social and cultural circumstances.While of interest in its own terms, such research also poses theoretical and methodological challenges. Do we need a more dynamic model of literary or literary-like language use across this range of texts and practices? How do we address questions of value? Can we devise a more inclusive 'social behaviour that embraces a wide variety of practices and that would stand in contrast to traditional ideas derived from canonical literature? On the other hand, is there a danger of bundling together distinctive texts and practices within a single aesthetic frame? Do we still need to acknowledge the distinctiveness of literature?The seminar series will bring together researchers from different traditions of enquiry -linguistics, including stylistics and sociolinguistics; literature and creative writing; anthropology; literacy studies; media and cultural studies; advertising and public relations. We also intend to involve some practitioners from relevant fields, such as poets who see themselves as working with and transforming everyday language, and advertising and PR professionals. There is normally limited scope for detailed discussion across these disciplinary boundaries. The seminars will be designed to encourage cross­ fertilization of ideas and develop new understandings of literary activity across a range of language practices.We shall explore the following broad themes across four seminars:The democratization of literariness? (How does literary, or literary-like language work across a broad range of texts and practices?)Time, space and hybridity (historical, geographical and cultural dimensions; global and local practices; hybridity and change);Modes and textures (the contribution of multimodal textual analysis to our understanding of literariness/artistry);Literary transformations (individual inspiration vs literary creativity as social; textual transformations, translation and rewriting).The seminars will be designed to encourage the joint exploration of ideas, but there will be scope for contestation as well as consensus. Each seminar will include contributions from lead presenters, and from a respondent who will aim to encourage discussion. While we have set broad themes across the series, we shall also respond to key ideas that emerge.Outcomes of the series will include are art to the AHRC; an edited collection; submissions to refereed journals. The series also aims to research activity, the establishment of longer term networks and proposals for research funding. Less tangibly, the series will extend the boundaries of current thinking on the relationship between literary and everyday verbal artistry.