IASS (International Association for Scandinavian Studies) was started in Cambridge in 1956 and from its very beginnings half a century ago has been the organization for research in Nordic literature. Study conferences are held every two years, Nordic countries alternating as hosts with non-Nordic ones. In 2002 IASS met in Aalborg. The 2004 venue was Vienna, and the 2006 – Turku/Abo in Finland where the organization celebrated its 50th anniversary. Conferences are normally attended by scholars from many countries. Papers are read in Swedish, Danish, Norwegian, English, German and French. Travelling light and unencumbered with formality, IASS strives to be a meeting-place for literary scholars from different traditions, persuasions and generations. The Scandinavian Department of the University of Gdansk, Poland, will host the IASS study conference in 2008 and invite you to join in. The XXVII IASS conference will be held in Gdansk 4 – 9 August 2008.

The theme is "Nordic Drama – Renewal and Transgression" It will be the first conference for almost 30 years where the participants will deal with Scandinavian drama. The last conference dealing with drama was held in Helsinki (XII IASS conference, 20th Century Drama in Scandinavia)

At the meeting in Helsinki it was stressed that drama used to play a rather modest qualitative and quantitative role in the national literatures in the first 70 years of the 20th century. But it was intersting to ask and try to answer some questions which could show the role of modern drama in Scandinavian culture. Among the questions were the following: How did fast social development influence the theatre in Scandinavia? In which way did international trends influence drama in the Nordic countries? What impact did radio and TV have on modern theatre in Scandinavia? What role did modern Scandinavian drama play in international theatre? And last but not the least: how was the development within the art of drama in those countries which did not have such ’father-figures’ as Ibsen and Strindberg to relate to?

By continuing the debate on the genre of drama after almost 30 years we wish to renew the essence of the concept nordic drama and demonstrate the dynamics of the concept. Moreover, we wish to make the map of the intersection between nordic drama and world drama more detailed. A revised interpretation may be applied to both contemporary as well as historical horizons.

Since most participants in the conference coming from non-Scandinavian countries make translations of Scandinavian literature into their mother toungues, we would also like to open a discussion around the topic of translating drama.

We wish to structure the conference around the following topics:
The classical and the new * An innovative look at the Nordic dramatic canon * Modern Nordic drama

The inter-aesthetic and the boundary-breaking
* The dramatic dimension in prose and poetry
* Lyric and story telling dimensions in the art of drama
* Dramatization of prose
* The interaction between drama and the media, e.g.:
- from drama texts to film making, theatre performance or radio theatre
- the dramaturgy of radio and TV theatre

The intercultural dimension: influence and reception
* Nordic drama in the world
* The intersection between world drama and Nordic drama

The expansion of the concept "Nordic drama"
* Arctic theatre & drama
* The "unknown" drama (reassessment of the ”forgotten” authors)

To translate drama

We invite you to express your interest in participating in the 2008 Conference by filling in the attached registration form, to reach us by 31 October 2007.

The conference fee will amount to ca 150 Euro including luncheons and coffee breaks but excluding a full-day excursion (Thursday) and final banquet.

Accommodation offer will include hotel rooms from 60 Euro and some hostel alternatives. The home page of the conference with updates and links is www.iass.at . There you will find some useful information about travel possibilities and accommodation offer.

Please copy or forward this information to colleagues who might wish to join. We shall also be happy to send a paper version to addressees you may wish to call our attention to.

The next circular will be sent to the conference participants by e-mail in February.

Welcome to Gdansk in 2008 !
Maria Sibinska, IASS