University Bern Summary of Guest Lectures

English Department Seraphine Kormann

SS2021 01.05.2021

11. March: Lale Eskicioglu: “Narratives of Postcolonial Cities: More Urban, More Realist,
Less Postcolonial.”

Main argument: contemporary narratives of post-colonial cities are moving away from the
post-colonial condition ascribed to them. They are no longer writing back to the empire but
rather moving towards a fresh engagement with the current issues of their cities. They follow
a more urban, more realist and less post-colonial trend. The literary production of these cities
is less concerned with the post-colonial past and more concerned with the present issues of
their cities.

Key concepts: until now post-colonial cites used to challenge the colonial perspectives in
literary arts. The post-colonial literatures asserted themselves by foregrounding the tension
with the empirical power and by emphasising their differences from the assumptions of the
empirical centre. Post-colonial literature is particularly scrutinising colonial relationships, it is
writing that sets out to resist post-colonial perspectives.

Post-colonial writing aims to change the discourse, eliminate orientalism and to show the
world a different and authentic perspective, contribute no nation building and unity and lastly
record and condemn colonisers actions.

The reality in India is now is the current reality that they inhabit. Lale’s new research thesis is
“shift of focus in the postcolonial cities Mumbai and Lagos in contemporary literature”.
Contemporary narratives of post-colonial cities reveal an emphasis on the present day and
they aim for a new social consciousness, bringing about solutions to the cities ongoing issues.

Most of the problems have their sources and their originating points in colonialism. Even
corruption did exist during colonialism. And for years they saw the colonisers subtilling and
taking away from the colonised nations. That kind of abuse may have left a culture behind
problems such as the two cities between the poor and the wealthy are proven to derive from
colonial period. The traffic, the sanitation, the infostructure are all rooted in colonialism and
are acknowledged today. At some point you have to hold the rains and you have to try to fix
it. India for example has been independent for 74 years and it is hard to blame current issues
to what happened 200 years ago. Nigeria gained their independence in 1960 so if people
seeing themselves victims, the thought of helplessness and mentality of blaming colonialism
for the current issues can derive. Post-colonial scholars are talking about this issue and
motivate the people to be their own masters and fix the stuff, let’s not look back but look
 University Bern Summary of Guest Lectures
English Department Seraphine Kormann
SS2021 01.05.2021

forwards. And I am seeing that the younger authors seem to think that way. They have moved
from blaming the past, blaming the hundred year abuse and they think they have a situation, a
problem in society, lets fix this.

30. March: Prof. Dr. David Britain: “Sounds Elite: ‘Received Pronunciation’, Standarisation
and Social Class in England.”

Main argument:

Key concepts:

16. April: Dr. Gwynne Mapes: “’Progressive Privilege’: Elite Authenticity in Mediatized
Discourse.”

Main argument:

Key concepts: