Perpignan: Bacalhau

by Lorenza Tiberi

If policitians knew the secret for gathering many people from different countries, they wouldn't waste so much public money to organise a G8 (or something similar). Mundus students in Perpignan discovered the secret, which can be summarised in a single word "BACALHAU".

Bacalhau is not a magic word like abracadabra or Hocus pocus, it's simply the most popular Portuguese dish. Thanks to Alessandra, who went in mission in Lisbon few days ago, we had the great experience of eating bacalhau (cod). This mouth-watering deliciousness managed to gather together in a living room 99% of the Mundus students in Perpignan (at least 10 different nation were represented) and few exeternal representatives from France, Brazil and India. Unfortunatelly the Chinese representative has not attended the event but we all wish to be at 100% soon.

An intercultural Pantagruelian dinner is always a good legerdemain to make people happy.

Conference on G. Bataille

Prof. Girard is going to participate on the Conference on G. Bataille and the magazine of the 30s Documents, to be held at the Palazzo Farnese on June 11th and 12th in Rome.

* They have made a mistake in his contribution, which should read "Nascondere quell' alluce che non saprei vedere".

General: Conference at the Sorbonne

Last weekend, Prof Girard spoke at the conference 'The European Republic of Letters 16th-21st centuries' for academics from the Sorbonne, the British Academy and many representatives of Ivy League universities. In his talk, he spoke of all the Crossways students' research topics and experiences since 2005. Here is the conference's programme.

Sorbonne nouvelle / British Academy Network

The European Republic of Letters 16th-21st centuries

La république européenne des Lettres XVIe-XXIe siècles

Grand amphithéâtre, Institut du monde anglophone,

5 rue de l'École de Médecine, Paris 6e

15 -16 May 2009

Friday 15 May

Chair : Marc Porée, Université de la Sorbonne nouvelle

13.45 Welcome : André Topia, Head of the English Faculty of the Sorbonne nouvelle

14.00 Simone TESTA, British Library,‘The Intellectual Network of Early Modern Europe in the Italian Academies Database (1530-1700)’

14.45 Keith BAKER, Stanford University, ‘Mapping the Republic of Letters’

15.30 Tea

16.00 Paul HAMILTON, Queen Mary, University of London

‘From «the Republic of Letters» to Romantic «Realpoetik»’

16.45 Moshik TEMKIN, Harvard University

‘Pan-European Writers and the Making of the Sacco-Vanzetti Affair’

Saturday 16 May

Chair : Dena Goodman, University of Michigan at Ann Arbor

9.00 Evy VARSAMOPOULOU, University of Cyprus,

‘The Sense of Community in the Notion of a «Republic of Letters»’

9. 45 Marc POREE, Sorbonne nouvelle, ‘When the Republic of Letters Goes Global: Pascale Casanova, Michel Le Bris, Camille de Toledo’

10.30 Break (coffee)

11.00 Didier GIRARD, Université de Perpignan, ‘Transcultural experiences of today’s Sodalitates litterarum: A Case Study’

12.00 Conference Lunch

Chair : Alain Morvan, Sorbonne nouvelle

14.00 Opening of the British Academy session by Elinor Shaffer, BA, and Annick Duperray, BA Network

14.15 10th British Academy Network Lecture

Marc FUMAROLI, FBA, Académie française, ‘La République des Lettres: un problème historiographique et une question d’actualité’

15.15 Break

15.30 Jean Marie GOULEMOT, Université de Tours, First respondent

15.50 Gisèle SAPIRO, CNRS, Second respondent

16.10 Louis VAN DELFT, Université Paris X , Third Respondent [t.b.c.]

16.30 General discussion (to 17.00)