Yourcenar

ISSN: 2030-7314

Nobody disputes the modern relevance of Marguerite Yourcenar’s work. Back in 1981, when she was the first woman to be elected to the Académie Française, her work was received enthusiastically, rather deferentially even; there was something of an aura surrounding it with the media attention her election attracted. But this time is now past and more recent research activity has taken a new turn, with critical attention focusing on Yourcenar’s roots in her own century. The study of traditional major themes – death, the sacred, nature, history etc. – has given way to the study of more comparative, theoretical issues such as the relationship between text and images, and more incisive issues such as ecology, gender, political activism etc. And her work seems to expand accordingly, offering up a seemingly inexhaustible supply of subject matter, not only through her novels but also through her novellas, her many essays, plays, letters and so on. The primary objective of the «Yourcenar» series is to publish monographs, collected volumes, conference proceedings and volumes resulting from doctoral research which will give our intended public of academics and Yourcenar devotees a regularly updated idea of the state of the art in the field. Cross-disciplinary approaches are encouraged. The intention is to publish two volumes per year, in either English or French. The collection is directed by Francesca Counihan (Maynooth University) and Bérengère Deprez (Université catholique de Louvain). L’actualité de l’œuvre de Marguerite Yourcenar ne fait aucun doute. Passé un moment de réception enthousiaste et plutôt déférente de ses écrits, auréolés et très médiatisés par son admission comme première femme à l’Académie française en 1981, il semble que la recherche ait pris un virage vers la critique attentive de l’enracinement de l’écrivaine dans son siècle. À l’examen des grands thèmes comme la mort, le sacré, la nature, l’histoire, etc., ont succédé des questions plus comparatistes, plus théoriques telles le rapport texte/image ou plus incisives telles l’écologie, la dimension de genre, l’engagement politique, etc. Et l’œuvre répond présente : la matière semble inépuisable, non seulement les romans mais les nouvelles, les nombreux essais, le théâtre, la correspondance, etc. La collection « Yourcenar » a pour ambition de présenter à un public universitaire académique ou non, ainsi qu’aux nombreux passionnés de l’œuvre de Marguerite Yourcenar, un état des lieux régulier de la recherche, par la publication de monographies, de volumes collectifs, d’actes de colloques et d’essais issus de thèses de doctorat. Elle encourage les points de vue transdisciplinaires. L’objectif de publication est de deux volumes par an, en français ou en anglais. La collection est dirigée par Francesca Counihan (Maynooth University) et Bérengère Deprez (Université catholique de Louvain). Nobody disputes the modern relevance of Marguerite Yourcenar’s work. Back in 1981, when she was the first woman to be elected to the Académie Française, her work was received enthusiastically, rather deferentially even; there was something of an aura surrounding it with the media attention her election attracted. But this time is now past and more recent research activity has taken a new turn, with critical attention focusing on Yourcenar’s roots in her own century. The study of traditional major themes – death, the sacred, nature, history etc. – has given way to the study of more comparative, theoretical issues such as the relationship between text and images, and more incisive issues such as ecology, gender, political activism etc. And her work seems to expand accordingly, offering up a seemingly inexhaustible supply of subject matter, not only through her novels but also through her novellas, her many essays, plays, letters and so on. The primary objective of the «Yourcenar» series is to publish monographs, collected volumes, conference proceedings and volumes resulting from doctoral research which will give our intended public of academics and Yourcenar devotees a regularly updated idea of the state of the art in the field. Cross-disciplinary approaches are encouraged. The intention is to publish two volumes per year, in either English or French. The collection is directed by Francesca Counihan (Maynooth University) and Bérengère Deprez (Université catholique de Louvain).

2 publications

Dramaturgies

ISSN: 1376-3199

This series presents innovative research work in the dramaturgies of the twentieth and twenty-first centuries. Its main purpose is to re-assess the complex relationship between textual studies, cultural and/or performance aspects at the dawn of this new multicultural millennium. The series offers discussions of the link between drama and multiculturalism (studies of “minority” playwrights –– ethnic, Aboriginal, gay, and lesbian), reconsiderations of established playwrights in the light of contemporary critical theories, studies of the interface between theatre practice and textual analysis, studies of marginalized theatrical practices (circus, vaudeville, etc.), explorations of emerging postcolonial drama, research into new modes of dramatic expressions and comparative or theoretical drama studies. Cette série présente des travaux de recherche innovateurs dans le domaine de la dramaturgie des XXe et XXIe siècles. Son objectif essentiel est de ré-examiner la relation complexe entre études de textes, aspects culturels et/ou performatifs à l’aube d’un millénaire multiculturel. La collection offre des analyses du lien entre textes dramatiques et multiculturalisme (études de dramaturges issus de « minorités » diverses, ethniques, aborigènes et sexuelles), de nouvelles approches de dramaturges confirmés à la lumière des théories critiques contemporaines, des études de l’interface entre pratique théâtrale et analyse textuelle, des études de formes théâtrales marginales (cirque, vaudeville, etc.), des monographies relatives au théâtre postcolonial ainsi qu’aux nouveaux modes d’expression dramatique. Elle aborde également le domaine du théâtre comparé et de la théorie théâtrale.

46 publications

Action publique / Public Action

ISSN: 1783-6077

La collection « Action publique » étudie le fonctionnement de l’État sous des angles multiples. Elle privilégie l’analyse des politiques publiques (environnement, santé, emploi, culture, etc.) et l’étude institutionnelle et organisationnelle des administrations publiques. Les mutations qui caractérisent aujourd’hui l’action publique (déréglementation, externalisation, contractualisation, action en réseaux ...) sont au cœur de ses préoccupations. Ainsi la collection « Action publique » accorde-t-elle également une place importante aux rapports que l’État entretient avec son environnement, l’appareil politique et la société civile bien sûr, mais aussi avec les évolutions sociétales plus larges (individualisme, globalisation, etc.). La pluridisciplinarité est une caractéristique essentielle des travaux contemporains dans le domaine. C’est pourquoi cette collection encourage les approches économiques, historiques, juridiques, politologiques, sociologiques et philosophiques. The series « Public Action » studies the State and how it works from a variety of perspectives. It focuses on public policy analysis (environment, health, employment culture, etc.) as well as the institutional and organizational study of public administrations. The mutations that characterize nowadays public action (deregulation, externalisation, contractualisation and networking) are at the heart of these preoccupations. Consequently, the series « Public Action » also places further emphasis on the relationship the State maintains with its environment; – not only the political apparatus and, of course, civil society, but also with broader social changes such as individualism and globalization. Multidisciplinary work is an essential characteristic of contemporary research in the field. Given the essential need for such approaches to the topic, this series encourages economic, historical, judicial, politological, sociological and philosophical perspectives.

25 publications

Nouvelle poétique comparatiste / New Comparative Poetics

ISSN: 1376-3202

This series publishes contributions which explore new territory in the ever-evolving field of comparative literature. Its monographs, written in English or in French, typically deal with the interaction between various authors, literary genres and societies or cultures, if necessary drawing on literary theory. The term «comparative» is not restricted to the study of different national literatures. It also refers to comparative studies within a single linguistic culture, e.g. in a multicultural society or a postcolonial country. The series seeks to re-assess the complex relationship between margin and center, emphasizing, whenever possible, a non-Eurocentric perspective. Cette collection publie des travaux ouvrant de nouveaux horizons dans le domaine sans cesse en évolution de la littérature comparée. Ses monographies, rédigées en anglais ou en français, traitent de préférence de l’interaction entre différents auteurs, genres littéraires et sociétés ou cultures, en faisant appel, le cas échéant, à la théorie de la littérature. Le terme « comparatiste » n’est pas limité à l’étude de différentes littératures nationales. Il s’applique également aux études comparatistes effectuées dans les limites d’une seule culture linguistique, par exemple dans une société multiculturelle ou postcoloniale. La collection tente donc de redéfinir la relation complexe entre centre et périphérie, en adoptant, dans la mesure du possible, une perspective non-eurocentrique.

47 publications

Outre-Mers

ISSN: 2034-8428

Contrary to certain preconceptions concerning globalisation, the phenomenon is not a recent one. In the past, many regions around the world have been incorporated into a dominant social and economic system at varying rates and to varying degrees. Their history has also become the history of Europe for which these regions have become so many “Overseas”. This collection is open in part to works dedicated to these Overseas regions and in part to works on their relationships with Europe. The aim of the collection is to bring together works concentrating rather on cross-perspectives than readings based on radical, generally univocal confrontations. Alongside these monographs and collective research works, the collection also makes room for the publication of documents and work tools designed not only to contribute to changing these problems but also to make it easier to exploit as yet unknown or little known sources. Michel Dumoulin (Université Catholique de Louvain) and Patricia Van Schuylenbergh (Royal Museum for Central Africa and Université Catholique de Louvain) are managing the collection with the help of an editorial committee. Malgré certaines idées reçues au sujet de la globalisation, celle-ci ne constitue pas un phénomène récent. Au fil du temps, les différentes parties du monde ont été intégrées, selon des rythmes et une amplitude variant de l’une à l’autre, à un système économique et social dominant. L’histoire de ces régions est aussi devenue celle de l’Europe pour laquelle elles sont devenues autant d’Outre-Mers. C’est aux travaux consacrés à ces Outre-Mers, d’une part ; aux rapports qu’ils ont entretenus avec l’Europe, d’autre part, que cette collection est ouverte dans le souci d’accueillir des approches privilégiant les regards croisés plutôt que les lectures fondées sur des confrontations radicales le plus souvent univoques. Au côté de monographies et résultats de recherches collectives, la collection ménage une place aux éditions de documents et aux instruments de travail destinés à contribuer au renouvellement des problématiques mais aussi à faciliter l’exploitation de sources peu ou pas encore connues. La collection est placée sous la direction de Michel Dumoulin (Université catholique de Louvain) et Patricia Van Schuylenbergh (Musée royal de l’Afrique centrale et Université catholique de Louvain) secondés par un comité éditorial.

10 publications

Studies in Philosophy, Culture and Contemporary Society

The aim of the series is to present classical philosophical thought and knowledge about problems and processes which take place in contemporary society. Such a perspective stems from the very relationship between philosophy and social sciences, which is both dynamic and reflexive. On the one hand, in its pure form as a ‘theoria,’ philosophical thought – even if sometimes abstracts from the social context – always remains an active observation that, in the long run, has an impact on social processes, and especially on social sciences. On the other hand, there is a reverse process in which social phenomena directly stimulate philosophical thought. As part of the series, we plan to publish monographs and volumes dealing with specific problems or social phenomena. Furthermore, the works of Polish societies, like The Polish Leibnizian Society and The Bachelard Society ‘Mythopaeia’, and others will be published.

41 publications