Narrative in Question Seminar 1 - An introduction to narrative theory

Richard Walsh (English, York): 'An introduction to narrative theory'

Mari Hatavara (Visiting Professor, Tampere): respondent

In order to launch the Narrative in Question series, Richard Walsh will offer an introductory perspective upon narrative theory without jargon or elaborate typologies. He will elaborate upon a definition of narrative as an elementary form of cognition, one of our basic modes of sensemaking, arguing that this fundamental form underlies the more elaborate forms that narrative may take in the various media of culture and communication. There is no intention to establish a conceptual orthodoxy here, however, and any such impression should be dispelled by the response from Mari Hatavara, also a narrative theorist, who is with us in York for this term as a visiting professor from the University of Tampere and can be relied upon to bring a strong perspective of her own to the discussion.

Narrative in Question is an ICNS research programme for Spring and Summer terms 2017, bringing together visiting speakers and York researchers with narrative-related interests. The core events are a series of seminars and guest lectures, and a culminating workshop featuring international contributors and a workshop focussed upon developing an interdisciplinary research project.

The idea for the programme is that the question of narrative provides a conceptual hub for dialogue amongst participants with widely divergent individual research agendas. The seminars will feature individual research projects in which the issue of narrative is fundamentally at stake. All project participants share a concern to put narrative in question, whether as a theoretical concept, as a mode of discourse or cognition, as a particular corpus or tradition, as a set of formal devices and techniques, as a use of specific media, or as a research methodology.

See the full programme of events