Project description
A closer look at retellings of premodern literature
In contemporary literature, there is a profound fascination with retelling ancient and medieval epics like Beowulf and the Iliad. However, despite their popularity, these retellings have often been dismissed as less serious literary pursuits. A question arises as to why retellings of premodern texts have not been taken seriously as a literary practice. With this in mind, the ERC-funded DERIVATE project explores how contemporary texts engage with medieval literary practices. It aims to redefine literary history as a narrative of derivations rather than novelty. Through a fusion of reception studies, medieval literary theory and practices, and postmodernist theory, the project will uncover the cultural and historical significance of retelling premodern narratives. DERIVATE scrutinises literary trends and reimagines the canon, literary markets and audience engagement.
Objective
Why are contemporary readers so fascinated by retellings of the Iliad or Beowulf? And why have retellings of premodern – ancient and medieval – texts not been taken seriously as a literary practice to date? In DERIVATE, I investigate the striking surge of retellings in contemporary English literature by setting the contemporary texts in a productive dialogue with practices of writing in the Middle Ages. The medieval period offers a perfect point of departure for theorizing retellings as medieval literature was inherently derivative and medieval authors had developed a system for being inventive within a system of derivations. Taking issue with the privileging of that which is new in literary history, I propose a new paradigm for literary history: literary history as a history of derivations. Starting from the premise that retelling is a transhistorical concept, the project sheds new light on the processes of reception that find their expression in the current interest in and relevance of premodern material. The project triangulates (classical) reception studies, medieval literary studies as well as literary theory, especially postmodernist theory, and scrutinizes the practice of retelling premodern (ancient and medieval) texts in contemporary English literature. DERIVATE thus develops a theory of retelling based on the intense engagement and critical comparison with medieval practices of retelling in order to map the wider cultural, historical, and literary contexts and implications of the current trend in retellings of classical and medieval texts (audiences, canon, literary market) as a springboard for developing a literary history of derivations.
Fields of science
Keywords
Programme(s)
- HORIZON.1.1 - European Research Council (ERC) Main Programme
Funding Scheme
HORIZON-ERC - HORIZON ERC GrantsHost institution
79098 Freiburg
Germany