About the seminar

The Literary and Critical Theory seminar aims to foster discussion of current issues in both theory and aesthetics in a friendly, open-minded environment. Though the title of the seminar is deliberately broad, the focus is on literary theory now: we encourage discussion to be reflexive about the state of literary and philosophical criticism in the current academic climate, and ask our speakers to reflect upon where they see theory’s points of contact with their current and future research.

The seminar is organised by Rowan Boyson, rowanboyson(AT)gmail.com, who has completed a PhD on Romanticism and pleasure at the School of English at Queen Mary, Molly Macdonald, molly.macdonald(AT)gmail.com, who has completed a PhD on Hegel and psychoanalysis at Queen Mary, University of London, and Danielle Sands, d.c.sands(AT)rhul.ac.uk who is completing a PhD on Derrida and religion at Royal Holloway, University of London.

We founded the seminar in the autumn of 2005, and speakers so far have included Peter Hallward, Frances Ferguson, Josh Cohen, Peter Dews, Diana Coole, Peter Osborne, Kate Soper, Denise Gigante, Denise Riley and Andrew Bowie. We meet fortnightly, and alternate reading group sessions with visiting speaker sessions, and we ask each speaker to suggest a short theoretical text for us to discuss in advance of their visit.

Academics and graduate students are most welcome to attend the seminars: please contact Rowan Boyson to be added to the mailing list.

The Literary and Critical Theory seminar is run from the Institute of English Studies, University of London, and is supported by the Graduate School in the Humanities and Social Sciences at Queen Mary, University of London.

Click here for details of how to get to Stewart House and Senate House, by Russell Square, London, where meetings are held.