SCI Director of Research Presents Keynote at University of Central Punjab, Lahore

Professor Amina Yaqin (English & Creative Writing and SCI Director of Research), recently presented a keynote talk at the University of Central Punjab (UCP) in Lahore, on 'The "fantasy echoes" of local and transnational feminism: Autobiography and Muslim Women's lives revisited'.

The keynote was part of a celebration of her work at UCP with Professor Peter Morey (University of Birmingham). Prof Yaqin has worked on a number of projects with Prof Morey and is currently Co-I with him for their AHRC funded research project 'Empathy, Narrative and Cultural Values'. Prof Yaqin spent the day with the UCP's English Department faculty which included Creative Writing, Drama, Communications. During their informal meetings, they exchanged ideas about teaching and research practices, concluding with a discussion on the challenges of AI in teaching and assessment. 

This was followed by the presentation of formal keynotes (see Prof Yaqin's abstract below). The day ended with tokens of appreciation from the Department and Faculty.

Abstract

In this paper I explore the genre of autobiography, women’s voices and the historical idea of feminism. I centre my discussion around an earlier engagement with Joan Wallach Scott on the history of feminism and the construction of identity as a fantasy echo. Referencing the inter-generic writings of Kishwar Naheed, collaborative reflections from Malala Yousafzai and a journalist’s tribute to Qandeel Baloch I argue that life narratives and associated cultural forms recreate fantasy echoes about feminism, girlhood, adolescence and women’s rights. These representations reflect varying models of an affective citizenship navigating connections and disjunctures between histories of local, transnational and global feminisms.