gent conference " for the listserv " international conference 1992 second circular : february 1992 literature and the analysis of discourse with special attention to the multicultural context tuesday 8 september - friday 11 september 1992 gent university , belgium writing and reading literature , oral literary traditions , dialogic text , non-literary narratives , discourse theory , literature as social practice , etc . , etc . , etc . keynote speakers : david birch ( murdoch , australia ) martin montgomery ( strathclyde , scotland ) elinor ochs ( los angeles , usa ) statement of pala ' s aims pala 's principal aim is to encourage cooperation between scholars and teachers interested in language and / or literary studies . the interests of pala members are wide , and this is reflected in papers given at pala conferences . interests of members include : stylistics , literary theory , the teaching of language and literature , critical linguistics , pragmatics , discours analysis , textual understanding , rhetoric , narratology , semiotic approaches to text and performance , sociolinguistics , cultural studies , post-structuralist theory ; in short , any theme which has relevance to the study and teaching of language and literature and their role in society . the 1992 conference theme to highlight the currently expanding field of discours studies , the 1992 conference has as its core theme ' literature and the analysis of discourse , with special attention to the multicultural context ' . papers covering interests as wide as the processes of writing and reading literature , the analysis of dialogic text , oral literary traditions , the relationship between literary and non-literary discourse , discourse theory and literary communication as social practice have all been proposed , as well as those dealing specifically with the writing and reading of literature in a multilingual and / or multicultural context . the 1992 conference venue gent university is of the city type ; there is no campus , and university buildings are dotted around the town . conference sessions will take place in the hoveniersberg , overlooking the bovenschelde in one of the quiet parts of town . programme conference sessions will start on the morning of the wednesday and last a full three days . it is envisaged that most participants will arrive and register on the tuesday evening . our provisional programme looks like this : tuedsday 8 sept 15 . 00 onwards : registration wednesday 9 sept 08 . 30 - 09 . 30 : late registration 09 . 45 : opening of conference 10 . 00 - 18 . 00 : conference sessions 18 . 30 : pre-booked dinner 20 . 15 : drinks reception thursday 10 sept 08 . 30 - 18 . 00 : conference sessions 18 . 30 : pala agm 20 . 00 : pre-booked dinner friday 11 sept 08 . 30 - 17 . 00 : conference sessions 17 . 15 : wind-up session evening : activities to be arranged there will be continuous coffee , tea , etc . throughout the conference sessions . accommodation rooms in the vermeylen student hall of residence , a couple of hundred metres from the conference centre , are available to all participants . it is possible to book rooms for several nights either side of the conference dates . the price on the registration form includes breakfast . unfortunately , no double rooms are available . if you would prefer to stay in a hotel , we recommend the arcade hotel ( nederkouter , 9000 gent ; tel . 32-91 - 25 . 07 . 07 ) , which is only 10 minutes ' walk from the conference centre . alternatively , you can contact the gent tourist office ( meersstraat 138 , 9000 gent ; tel . 32-91 - 25 . 35 . 55 ) . food breakfast will be served in the overpoort , the university eating complex next door to the vermeylen . lunch and supper is also available there to conference participants , as are snacks throughout the day . there will be no single ' conference dinner ' as such , but to make it easier for participants to meet each other , we are arranging dinners for both wednesday and thursday evenings in the university restaurant . these have to be pre-booked . staying in gent gent ( population around 230 , 000 ) is a historic flemish city , the first in europe to declare itself independent of feudal control . it has a plethora of medieval vistas and bridges and is thus entitled to compete with bruges and amsterdam for the title of ' venice of the north ' . it is also a busy industrial city and the commercial and administrative centre for east flanders . the first language is flemish / dutch ( depending on one 's sociolinguistic viewpoint ) but nearly every-body can use both english and french with at least some degree of fluency . there are numerous restaurants , cafes and pubs near the conference area ( including two good vegetarian restaurants ) , many of which stay open well into the small hours . prices are cheap by northern european standards . for those wishing to combine the conference with a visit to gent and the surrounding area , you may like to know that a train can take you in less than an hour to bruges , brussels , antwerp or the belgian coast . you can even get into the ardennes or to paris within a few hours . registration / queries to attend the conference , fill in the registration form and return it , with payment , by 1st may . confirmation of registration and details of arrangements will be sent in the third circular to those who have registered , but if you have any enquiries , contact jim o'driscoll or stef slembrouck at seminarie voor engelse taalkunde , universiteit gent , rozier 44 , b-9000 gent , belgium ( tel : 32-91 - 64 . 37 . 88 / 89 / 90 ; fax : 32-91 - 64 . 41 . 95 ; e-mail pala92 @ engllang . rug . ac . be ) . * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * pala 92 gent university registration form surname _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ first name ( s ) _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ address _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ affiliation _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ i will participate in the conference and enclose a eurocheque ( or have arranged direct transfer to the pala account in belgium ) to cover : ( tick as appropriate ) pala member conference fee ( bf 1000 ) _ _ _ _ _ _ non-member conference fee ( bf 2000 ) _ _ _ _ _ _ student conference fee ( bf 600 ) _ _ _ _ _ _ dinner on 9th september ( bf 500 ) _ _ _ _ _ _ dinner on 10th september ( bf 500 ) _ _ _ _ _ _ accommodation for tue 8th september ( bf 525 ) _ _ _ _ _ _ accommodation for wed 9th september ( bf 525 ) _ _ _ _ _ _ accommodation for thu 10th september ( bf 525 ) _ _ _ _ _ _ accommodation for fri 11th september ( bf 525 ) _ _ _ _ _ _ accommodation for ( specify ) ( bf ) _ _ _ _ _ _ fee for international money transfer or cheque other than eurocheques * ( bf 300 ) _ _ _ _ _ _ i therefore enclose ( or have transferred ) a total of bf _ _ _ _ _ _ i would like lacto-vegetarian / vegan food for the dinner ( s ) i have booked _ _ _ _ _ signature _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ please return to pala conference 1992 , seminarie voor engelse taalkunde , universiteit gent , rozier 44 , b-9000 gent , belgium ( pala9 @ engllang . rug . ac . be ) . the final date for registration is 1st may 1992 . _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ * . note that all payments must be made in belgian francs . cheques should be made payable to ' pala conference 1992 ' . a single eurocheque must not be of more than bf 7 , 000 . international money transfers should be sent via ' swift ' , quoting our bank 's swift number ( bbru be bb 900 ) and our account number : bbl 390-0959358 - 83 . if you have any problems with either method of payment , please contact the organizers .