The last seminar of 2024 in the Auto / Bio / Fiction series presents writer Kim Adrian and critic Karen Ferreira-Meyers.
12 December 2024, 5.30pm UTC (online)
Kim Adrian, “The Democratisation of Criticism”
In this paper I will consider what could be called “the democratization of criticism”: the knocking of the traditional critic off the pedestal of “taste”, demoting them from the position of “tastemakers” by works that write about art, literature and culture from a personal and intimate point of view – a point of view privileging that of the reader / viewer / consumer rather than that of the professional critic. This more democratic mode of criticism appears to be promoted in particular in the modern memoir (as opposed to old-fashioned memoirs and classic autobiographies, which were largely written by well-known or powerful public figures), as well as by the (also relatively new) genre of “microhistory.”
Karen Ferreira-Meyers, “Unveiling Truths: The Bold Art of Women’s Autofiction”
“Unveiling Truths: The Bold Art of Women’s Autofiction” explores how contemporary women writers use autofiction as a powerful tool to navigate, reveal, and challenge personal and societal boundaries. Autofiction—a hybrid of autobiography and fiction—allows authors to blur the lines between reality and imagination, creating spaces where women’s lived experiences and inner worlds can be authentically and creatively expressed. This talk examines the unique strengths of women’s autofiction in dismantling traditional narratives around gender, identity, trauma, and agency. By intertwining real events with fictional elements, female writers construct narratives that defy the limitations of strict autobiography, allowing them to present complex, multi-layered selves that resist categorisation or simplification.
In analysing works from key authors, such as Annie Ernaux, Sheila Heti, and Virginie Despentes, the talk will delve into how these writers challenge norms around femininity, relationships, and the societal expectations imposed on women’s bodies and choices. Their autofictional narratives reveal both universal and deeply personal truths, inviting readers to engage in critical reflections on intimacy, memory, and self-perception. Additionally, the talk explores how autofiction serves as a form of self-reclamation and resistance, giving women the freedom to present their vulnerabilities, desires, and contradictions without conforming to prescriptive roles.
Through a close reading of selected passages, this discussion highlights the stylistic and thematic innovations within women’s autofiction, underscoring its importance as a genre that empowers women to speak unapologetically from their own perspectives. Ultimately, Unveiling Truths advocates for the recognition of women’s autofiction as a bold artistic approach that not only redefines narrative boundaries but also contributes significantly to feminist literature and the broader cultural discourse on identity and selfhood.
Attendance is free but booking is required to receive a link to attend.
The speakers
Kim Adrian is the author of two books of creative criticism—Dear Knausgaard (described by James Wood, literary critic for The New Yorker, as “a delight from start to finish”) and Sock (part of Bloomsbury’s Object Lessons Series). She wrote the critically acclaimed memoir The Twenty-Seventh Letter of the Alphabet, a Next Generation Indie Book Awards Finalist, and edited the lyric essay anthology The Shell Game: Writers Play with Borrowed Forms.
Kim’s work has received support from, among others, the Edward Albee Foundation, the Bread Loaf Writing Seminars, the Massachusetts Cultural Council, and, most recently, the Oberpfälzer Künstlerhaus, in Bavaria, Germany. She lives in Boston, teaches memoir at the Pioneer Valley Writers Workshop, and is currently working on a novel about the life and work of the German Romantic author E.T.A. Hoffmann.
Karen Ferreira-Meyers is Full Professor at the Institute of Distance Education, University of Eswatini, Eswatini and Research Fellow at the University of the Free State, South Africa. She holds a PhD in French and Francophone literature – autofiction and autobiography and four MA degrees (Licence en Philologie romane, MA in Linguistics – English, LLM, MIDT). She also has a strong track record in teacher development in Southern African contexts and expertise in the area of blended, distance and e-learning and teaching. Her research interests are varied: from autofiction, autobiography and life writing to teacher training, ODeL, Open Education, Open Schooling, teacher professional development, Artificial Intelligence, online facilitation, digital transformation, self-directed learning, quality assurance in education, crime and detective fiction, and African literatures in so-called European languages. She has published over 110 papers, various book chapters, two books and more than 100 book reviews. She enjoys working collaboratively and has been tasked with the leading of project teams on several occasions.
