Feminist Writings

Research – Creativity –  Activism

Welcome to the third edition of the international Feminist Readings symposium. This time we convene in Helsinki!

Feminist Readings 3: Feminist Writings is organised by the University of Helsinki doctoral programme Gender, Culture and Society (SKY). It is a continuation of the inaugural symposium Lectures féministes: Feminist Readings #1 and Feminist Readings #2.

This symposium is intent on starting discussions about the potential of bringing together research, creativity and activism. Our selection of presentations comes from young researchers. The focus is on writing, which we understand broadly as giving form to ideas and creating connections. Writing is a process, often necessary for the realisation of an idea, a manifestation of the act of thinking.

During the two-day symposium we ask could creative writing and other creative methods allow more  diverse ways to do research and approach feminism? What do creativity and innovation mean in relation to research if doing research is always already creative, yet often represented as separate from artistic activity? Is it possible to write and do research differently or against the grain, challenging conventions of the academic, artistic, and activist mainstream? How could different situated knowledges question the white malestream?

In addition to our wonderful program of papers, we have two keynote lectures by the following people:

Akila Kizzi (University of Paris 8) : The pioneer francophone women writers in colonial Algeria : Towards a situated woma/femi/nist writing in Taos Amrouche, Djamila Debbeche and Assia Djebar

Heta Rundgren (University of Helsinki & University of Paris 8) : Serious playfulness and self-critical practice – articulating academic (in)formality and white feminist racism

See the full programme here.

The symposium is free of charge and open to your participation even if you are not presenting a paper this time. Just register here.

Feminist Writings is organised by the University of Helsinki doctoral programme Gender, Culture and Society (SKY), in association with LEGS – Laboratoire d’études de genre et de sexualité, and University of Leeds, School of Fine Art, History of Art and Cultural Studies, and with support from the Academy of Finland project Embodied Religion and Oranssi Youth Cultural Center.

Organizers: Vilja Alanko, Hanna Etholén, Astrid Joutseno and Ada Schwanck (University of Helsinki)