Insularity: representations and constructions of small worlds

Abstract

The metaphorical concept of ‘insularity’ resonates with manifold discourses surrounding geographical as well as imaginary islands. It is situated within a complex grid of oppositions: earth and water, land and sea, centre and periphery; accessible and remote, small and large, enclosed and open, secluded and connected. Approaching insularity in literary and cultural studies means engaging with the ambivalence of such opposite notions and analysing the interplay of spatial practices and metaphors, cultural intertexts and discursive appropriations in the representation and construction of insular spaces. This volume offers explorations of the multifaceted concept of insularity in four sections. Theoretical Approaches: Mapping Insularity - German Literature: Aesthetic Reflections of Insularity - Comparative Literature: Island Myths and Other Spaces - Interculturality and Intermediality: Insular Spaces between Cultures and Media.