Contemporary Scandinavian Literature
A.Y. 2024/2025
Learning objectives
This course aims to present and discuss authors and themes of contemporary Scandinavian literature within their historical and cultural context. Relevant methodological approaches to literary analysis will be used.
Expected learning outcomes
Students will be able to analyze contemporary Scandinavian literature in the original language (partially in Italian translation for BA students) by applying appropriate critical approaches and contextualizing the works in history and culture. They will also be able to identify and discuss problems and issues specific to the topic of the course.
Lesson period: Second semester
Assessment methods: Esame
Assessment result: voto verbalizzato in trentesimi
Single course
This course can be attended as a single course.
Course syllabus and organization
Single session
Responsible
Lesson period
Second semester
Course syllabus
The title of this module is: "Migration and Postmigration Literature in Scandinavia" (6/9 CFU). Some of the main goals of this course are to understand what are the main problems that the "postmigrant generation" (descendants of immigrants, "mixed" people, and transnational adoptees) are forced to face in contemporary Scandinavian societies, how the authors present these challenges in diverse ways, and what strategies are put in place to critique and counter oppressive mechanisms. This means that it is also important to investigate the ways in which these works criticize a widespread understanding of the concepts of Norwegianness, Swedishness and Danishness, which a priori excludes all those who, for aesthetic, cultural, linguistic, and religious reasons, cannot be associated with a - false - idea of national homogeneity and Nordic purity. At the same time, it is intended to bring into focus all those cultural and linguistic practices and hybridisms that help to highlight how the old hegemonic paradigms are no longer able to represent contemporary Scandinavian countries, whose national identities are constantly renegotiated in relation to migratory phenomena, which have triggered processes of transculturalization and transnationalization. The study of literary texts will be conducted through the lens of recent studies on postmigration, according to which migration must be considered an intrinsic component of today's European societies.
Part B, compulsory for those who wish to obtain 9 CFU, will focus on an in-depth study of authors and artists who recount the challenges in today's postmigrant Scandinavia through short fiction, poetry and music.
Part B, compulsory for those who wish to obtain 9 CFU, will focus on an in-depth study of authors and artists who recount the challenges in today's postmigrant Scandinavia through short fiction, poetry and music.
Prerequisites for admission
The course is taught primarily in Italian and partially in Scandinavian languages.
The course is not recommended to first-year students.
The course is not recommended to first-year students.
Teaching methods
The teaching methodology combines lectures and class discussions; self-study of primary texts and critical bibliography.
Teaching Resources
Part A (6 cfu)
Primary literature:
1) Hussain, Khalid, 1986, Pakkis, Oslo, Tiden. // Hussain, Khalid, Paki, trad. it. di Edoardo Checcucci, Trento, Forme Libere.
2) Shakar, Zeshan, 2017, Tante Ulrikkes vei, Oslo, Gyldendal. // Shakar, Zeshan, 2022, Oslo blocco boyz, trad. it. di Margherita Podestà Heir, Bari, Stilo Editrice.
3) Khemiri, Jonas Hassen, 2006, Montecore. En unik tiger, Stockholm, Norstedts. // Khemiri, Jonas Hassen, Una tigre molto speciale (Montecore), trad. it. di Alessandro Bassini, Milano, Guanda.
4) Anyuru, Johannes, 2017, De kommer att drunkna i sina mödrars tårar, Stockholm, Norstedts // Anyuru, Johannes, 2019, They Will Drown in their Mothers' Tears, eng. transl. by Saskia Vogel, San Francisco, Two Lines Press.
5) Hassan, Yahya, 2013, Yahya Hassan, Copenaghen, Gyldendal. // Hassan, Yahya, 2014, Yahya Hassan, trad. it. di Bruno Berni, Milano, Rizzoli.
Secondary literature:
1) Ciaravolo, Massimo (a cura di), 2019, Storia delle letterature scandinave, Milano, Iperborea: 621-629; 884-911.
2) Ciaravolo, Massimo, 2021, "Collaborative Authorship and Postmigration in Jonas Hassen Khemiri's Novel Montecore", European Journal of Scandinavian Studies, 51(2): 199-219.
3) Frank, Søren, 2008, "Prolegomena: Toward a Literature of Migration", in Migration and Literature, New York, Palgrave Mac Millan: 1-21.
4) Gebauer, Mirjam & Pia Schwarz Lausten, 2010, "Migration Literature: Europe in Transition", in M. Gebauer, P. Schwarz Lausten (eds), Migration and Literature in Contemporary Europe, München, Martin Maidelbauer: pp. 1-8
5) Ingeborg Kongslien, "Migrant or multicultural literature in the Nordic countries", 2006, https://www.eurozine.com/migrant-or-multicultural-literature-in-the-nordic-countries/.
6) Schramm, Moritz, Sten Pultz Moslund & Anne Ring Petersen (eds.), 2019, Reframing Migration, Diversity and the Arts. The Postmigrant Condition, New York, Routledge: ix-xii; 3-63.
7) Gaonkar, Anna Meera, Astrid Sophie Øst Hansen, Hans Christian Post & Moritz Schramm (eds.), 2021, Postmigration. Art, Culture, and Politics in Contemporary Europe, Bielefeld, transcript Verlag: 11-42; 161-179.
Any material made available by the teacher on the Ariel platform.
Part B (9 cfu)
In addition to the material relating to part A, the following texts, including any prefaces and afterwords.
1) Zahid, Sarah, 2018, La oss aldri glemme hvor godt det kan være å leve, Oslo, Flamme. // Zahid, Sarah, 2023, Non scordiamoci mai quanto può essere bello vivere, trad. it. di Edoardo Checcucci, Ferrara, Edizioni Kolibris.
2) Tjønn, Brynjulf Jung, 2024, "10 poesie", trad. it. di Edoardo Checcucci, Smerilliana, 27: 37-68.
3) Farrokhzad, Athena, 2013, Vitsvit, Stockholm, Albert Bonniers Förlag. // Farrokhzad, Athena, 2024, Bianco su bianco, trad. it. di Emilio Calvani, Ferrara, Edizioni Kolibris.
4) Leiva Wenger, Alejandro, 2001, "Borta i tankar", in Till vår ära, Stockholm, Modernista. // Leiva Wenger, Alejandro, 2006, "Fuori di testa", in S. Rota Sperti (a cura di), Nordic Light - Antologia di gio vani narratori scandinavi, Milano, Piccola Biblioteca Oscar Mondadori: 165-187.
5) Langvad, Maja Lee, 2006, Find Holger Danske, København, Gyldendal.
6) Karpe, 2022, Omar Sheriff (EP musicale)
7) Erik Lundin, 2015, Suedi (EP musicale)
Any material made available by the teacher on the Ariel platform.
Primary literature:
1) Hussain, Khalid, 1986, Pakkis, Oslo, Tiden. // Hussain, Khalid, Paki, trad. it. di Edoardo Checcucci, Trento, Forme Libere.
2) Shakar, Zeshan, 2017, Tante Ulrikkes vei, Oslo, Gyldendal. // Shakar, Zeshan, 2022, Oslo blocco boyz, trad. it. di Margherita Podestà Heir, Bari, Stilo Editrice.
3) Khemiri, Jonas Hassen, 2006, Montecore. En unik tiger, Stockholm, Norstedts. // Khemiri, Jonas Hassen, Una tigre molto speciale (Montecore), trad. it. di Alessandro Bassini, Milano, Guanda.
4) Anyuru, Johannes, 2017, De kommer att drunkna i sina mödrars tårar, Stockholm, Norstedts // Anyuru, Johannes, 2019, They Will Drown in their Mothers' Tears, eng. transl. by Saskia Vogel, San Francisco, Two Lines Press.
5) Hassan, Yahya, 2013, Yahya Hassan, Copenaghen, Gyldendal. // Hassan, Yahya, 2014, Yahya Hassan, trad. it. di Bruno Berni, Milano, Rizzoli.
Secondary literature:
1) Ciaravolo, Massimo (a cura di), 2019, Storia delle letterature scandinave, Milano, Iperborea: 621-629; 884-911.
2) Ciaravolo, Massimo, 2021, "Collaborative Authorship and Postmigration in Jonas Hassen Khemiri's Novel Montecore", European Journal of Scandinavian Studies, 51(2): 199-219.
3) Frank, Søren, 2008, "Prolegomena: Toward a Literature of Migration", in Migration and Literature, New York, Palgrave Mac Millan: 1-21.
4) Gebauer, Mirjam & Pia Schwarz Lausten, 2010, "Migration Literature: Europe in Transition", in M. Gebauer, P. Schwarz Lausten (eds), Migration and Literature in Contemporary Europe, München, Martin Maidelbauer: pp. 1-8
5) Ingeborg Kongslien, "Migrant or multicultural literature in the Nordic countries", 2006, https://www.eurozine.com/migrant-or-multicultural-literature-in-the-nordic-countries/.
6) Schramm, Moritz, Sten Pultz Moslund & Anne Ring Petersen (eds.), 2019, Reframing Migration, Diversity and the Arts. The Postmigrant Condition, New York, Routledge: ix-xii; 3-63.
7) Gaonkar, Anna Meera, Astrid Sophie Øst Hansen, Hans Christian Post & Moritz Schramm (eds.), 2021, Postmigration. Art, Culture, and Politics in Contemporary Europe, Bielefeld, transcript Verlag: 11-42; 161-179.
Any material made available by the teacher on the Ariel platform.
Part B (9 cfu)
In addition to the material relating to part A, the following texts, including any prefaces and afterwords.
1) Zahid, Sarah, 2018, La oss aldri glemme hvor godt det kan være å leve, Oslo, Flamme. // Zahid, Sarah, 2023, Non scordiamoci mai quanto può essere bello vivere, trad. it. di Edoardo Checcucci, Ferrara, Edizioni Kolibris.
2) Tjønn, Brynjulf Jung, 2024, "10 poesie", trad. it. di Edoardo Checcucci, Smerilliana, 27: 37-68.
3) Farrokhzad, Athena, 2013, Vitsvit, Stockholm, Albert Bonniers Förlag. // Farrokhzad, Athena, 2024, Bianco su bianco, trad. it. di Emilio Calvani, Ferrara, Edizioni Kolibris.
4) Leiva Wenger, Alejandro, 2001, "Borta i tankar", in Till vår ära, Stockholm, Modernista. // Leiva Wenger, Alejandro, 2006, "Fuori di testa", in S. Rota Sperti (a cura di), Nordic Light - Antologia di gio vani narratori scandinavi, Milano, Piccola Biblioteca Oscar Mondadori: 165-187.
5) Langvad, Maja Lee, 2006, Find Holger Danske, København, Gyldendal.
6) Karpe, 2022, Omar Sheriff (EP musicale)
7) Erik Lundin, 2015, Suedi (EP musicale)
Any material made available by the teacher on the Ariel platform.
Assessment methods and Criteria
Students that regularly attend classes (frequentanti) will:
a) submit an essay on a topic linked to the module. The subject of the essay has to be accepted by the instructor.
b) do a presentation in class on a topic linked to the module. Presentations can be done individually or in pairs/groups.
Students will be assessed through an oral examination conducted by the instructor. Students are expected to be able to answer questions concerning topics discussed in class; to provide analyses and comments to passages from texts on the reading list; to demonstrate the capacity to contextualize the literary works and analyze structural elements also with the help of the methodological tools provided by the theoretical texts in the syllabus.
All students are required to write a short essay. M.A. students will write in the Scandinavian language they are specializing in (min. 8.000 characters, max. 10.000 characters), third-year students may choose to write in Italian (min. 6.000, max 8.000 characters). Those who wish to obtain 9 CFU must present a written essay that is transversal to the two modules. The paper should concentrate on aspects and themes relevant to the specific module. The essay must be submitted no less than 10 days before the exam session for which the student has registered. Students who attend the module will present a paper (individually or in group) on one of the topics connected to the module. Students who deliver a successful presentation will be exempted from taking the oral exam (but not from submitting the written essay). In any case, the written essay must be presented individually.
Grades are expressed on a scale of 30. Students have the right to reject the mark.
International and incoming Erasmus students who intend to take this course are requested to contact the instructor upon arrival.
Students with any disabilities are kindly requested to contact the teacher in order to agree on alternative examination methods, according to the current legislation.
a) submit an essay on a topic linked to the module. The subject of the essay has to be accepted by the instructor.
b) do a presentation in class on a topic linked to the module. Presentations can be done individually or in pairs/groups.
Students will be assessed through an oral examination conducted by the instructor. Students are expected to be able to answer questions concerning topics discussed in class; to provide analyses and comments to passages from texts on the reading list; to demonstrate the capacity to contextualize the literary works and analyze structural elements also with the help of the methodological tools provided by the theoretical texts in the syllabus.
All students are required to write a short essay. M.A. students will write in the Scandinavian language they are specializing in (min. 8.000 characters, max. 10.000 characters), third-year students may choose to write in Italian (min. 6.000, max 8.000 characters). Those who wish to obtain 9 CFU must present a written essay that is transversal to the two modules. The paper should concentrate on aspects and themes relevant to the specific module. The essay must be submitted no less than 10 days before the exam session for which the student has registered. Students who attend the module will present a paper (individually or in group) on one of the topics connected to the module. Students who deliver a successful presentation will be exempted from taking the oral exam (but not from submitting the written essay). In any case, the written essay must be presented individually.
Grades are expressed on a scale of 30. Students have the right to reject the mark.
International and incoming Erasmus students who intend to take this course are requested to contact the instructor upon arrival.
Students with any disabilities are kindly requested to contact the teacher in order to agree on alternative examination methods, according to the current legislation.
Unita' didattica A
L-LIN/15 - NORDIC LANGUAGES AND LITERATURES - University credits: 3
Lessons: 20 hours
Unita' didattica B+C
L-LIN/15 - NORDIC LANGUAGES AND LITERATURES - University credits: 6
Lessons: 40 hours
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