Organised by Dîlan Canan Çakir, Research Area 5: "Building Digital Communities" and Anna Kinder, German Literature Archive (Deutsches Literaturarchiv – DLA) Marbach. 

The role of digital spaces in contemporary literature is becoming increasingly significant. Exiled authors use digital media to voice their work, to stay in contact with their former audiences, and to build international communities. Sometimes, the digital is the only possible place to publish texts that are banned or censored elsewhere. Notable examples include Syrian exile Aboud Saeed, who writes politically critical novels on Facebook; Kurdish author Yavuz Ekinci, who was imprisoned for a pro-Kurdish tweet; and Ugandan poet Stella Nyanzi, who publishes almost exclusively through social media.

The conference "Digital Exile Literature" will focus on the role of the digital in contemporary exile literature. In light of the DLA's expansion to include works by exiled authors currently residing in Germany, the event aims to discuss case studies that illustrate the diverse digital practices of exile writers. These include the use of social media platforms and personal blogs for self-representation and exchange, offering not only opportunities for the dissemination of literature but also for networking with communities both in the home country and in exile.

Additionally, the conference will examine the role of digital archives. Many contemporary exile authors digitise their works for pragmatic reasons, which affects both long-term preservation and global access. Digital methods of analysis and AI-assisted translations are increasingly available, but these innovations also present challenges such as online harassment or hacking, particularly in relation to politically sensitive texts.

   

Key topics we would welcome submissions on:

• Digital self-representation and community building: Case studies on how exiled authors use social media, blogs, and other digital platforms to share their work and connect with audiences globally and in exile.
• Challenges of digital dissemination: Analysis of the unique obstacles faced by exiled authors in digital spaces, such as online harassment, censorship, and hacking, especially for politically sensitive works.
• Digital archives and preservation: Exploration of the benefits and implications of digital archives, focusing on how exiled authors preserve their works online for accessibility and long-term storage and how archives deal with them
• Digital tools in literary analysis: Discussion on the use of digital methodologies, AI-assisted translations, and other technologies that influence the interpretation and accessibility of exile literature.

Researchers at all career stages in (Comparative) Literature and Culture Studies, Sociology, Book Studies, and related disciplines are invited to submit papers on the questions outlined above. Presentations that combine archive-related research with theoretical and methodological reflection or explore the potential of digital approaches are particularly welcome.

Travel expenses and accommodation costs will be covered for presenters of accepted papers through a fixed stipend aligned with the country of travel.

  

Please upload your abstract (300 words, preferably in English) for a 30-minute presentation along with a brief CV and short selected publications list to the CfP portal. The deadline is 1 March 2025. The conference language will be English.

   

Location:

The international and interdisciplinary conference will be held from 7–9 October 2025 in collaboration with the German Literature Archive Marbach (DLA) at its branch in the Berlin-Brandenburg Academy of Sciences (BBAW):

Berlin-Brandenburgische Akademie der Wissenschaften
Jägerstraße 22-23
10117 Berlin

For further information please contact:

Dr. Dîlan Canan Çakir (EXC 2020), dilan.cakir@fu-berlin.de

Dr. Anna Kinder (DLA Marbach, Head of Research Department), anna.kinder@dla-marbach.de