The other post-criticism: experimental critical writing by women and the future of the literary humanities
The principal objective of The Other Post-Criticism (TOPCRIT) is to bring women’s innovative knowledge production in the field of contemporary literary criticism into a broader, more challenging definition of the novel concept of post-criticism. This ICT-enabled project uses a combination of interdisciplinary scholarship and innovative technologies to document, research and disseminate exciting forms of critical and interpretive production by women authors, building on the candidate’s proven track record in this original and distinctive line of research. The project’s interdisciplinary framework harnesses state-of-the-art theorisations of gender to challenge the current binding of post-criticism to a predominantly male philosophical legacy. Seeking to influence the paradigm of the post-critical at a decisive moment in its young history, and working at the cutting edge of debate on the function, forms and continued relevance of literary criticism, TOPCRIT provides the first account to date of women’s post-critical writing – including the use of generic experimentation, performance aesthetics, digital technologies, and a radical reimagining of the essay form –, situating these innovations alongside compelling theoretical discussions of post-criticism by women. TOPCRIT’s project design has at its core a strategy to ensure the maximum impact and visibility of the research, sharing outputs in formats and contexts designed to influence not only state-of-the-art academic debate and curricular models, but, through a vibrant outreach strategy, to spark wider public interest in the ways ‘literary’ texts and forms can perform key critical functions. Aligned with the objectives of the Horizon 2020 Sixth Societal Challenge (‘Europe in a Changing World: Inclusive, Innovative, and Reflective Societies’), the project is designed to document and highlight marginalised cultural production by women, strengthening women's key role in contemporary critical conversation.