The Department of Languages, Literatures and Cultures Research Seminar presents two contemporary poets — one from Quebec, the other from Italy/Switzerland/Belgium — reflecting on their practice within spaces where “national” languages have traditionally thrived, but whose autonomy is today complicated by an increasingly global and largely anglophone cultural context. As writers and theorists, Catherine Morency and Alessandro de Francesco will explore the stakes involved in writing, thinking about and teaching poetry in the current age of cultural and linguistic confluence. After their presentations, they will join a roundtable discussion hosted by Craig Moyes and James Wishart to continue the dialogue with the seminar participants.
Catherine Morency is an award-winning poet and essayist who also teaches literary creation and Québécois literature at the University of Quebec at Chicoutimi (UQÀC).