Vol. 16 No. 1 (2025): Grenzüberschreitende Literatur(en) in einer polyphonen Welt: Mehrsprachigkeit als Quelle der literarischen Kreativität

This special issue is the result of a collaboration between the interuniversity research center POLYPHONIE and the international literary festival globale° – Festival für grenzüberschreitende Literatur in Bremen. The aim of this cooperation is to create an interdisciplinary space where literary multilingualism, transculturality, and questions of linguistic and cultural belonging can be jointly reflected upon and discussed.

In July 2024, a two-day international conference took place at the University of Bremen as part of this collaboration. Under the title Grenzüberschreitende Literatur(en) in einer polyphonen Welt: Mehrsprachigkeit als Quelle der literarischen Kreativität, it brought together researchers, authors, and translators. The conference also marked the beginning of a series of joint events aimed at exploring the intersections between literary practice, scholarly reflection, and societal discourse.

The contributions in this issue, edited by the conference organizers Daniel Schmidt – director of globale° –, David Pappalardo, and Ramona Pellegrino, address key themes and questions discussed during the event and document the diversity of perspectives that emerged from the dialogue between literature and academia. With this publication, we aim not only to make the outcomes of our conference accessible to a wider audience, but also to contribute to the ongoing networking and visibility of translingual research and literary practice.

Further information about the collaboration and upcoming events can be found on the joint platform: https://globale-polyphonie.de/.