Breaking the Canon

Day 1 Of The Conference

»Canon«, a - controversial, changeable, but nonetheless powerful - collection of works that are collectively ascribed outstanding importance. Works belonging to the so-called canon are published in editions of classics, staged in theatres for decades and centuries, reviewed in the feuilleton, awarded literary prizes, translated, taught in school and universities. Due to structural racism, ableism, classism or sexism, only a few have the power to define what becomes part of the canon and who can find themselves in it. The social selection of these works exerts violence: through erasure, appropriation, economic discrimination, reproduction of discrimination. But what to do with the canon? Dismantle, transform, overwrite, infiltrate, explode, archive, start again?

• The program on Friday and Sunday will take place with live audience at Kampnagel in K2, and be streamed online. Seats on large pillows are available by booking a place in the first row. The program on Saturday will only take place digitally.

• All parts of the live program will be streamed live in Zoom Webinar and on Kampnagel’s Vimeo channel.

• Some parts of the program are in spoken German, some in spoken English. Simultaneous audio translation to both languages will be available in Zoom and in Vimeo. In Vimeo, both English and German subtitles will be available for all parts of the live program. The streaming on Vimeo will remain online after the conference.

• During the Q&As, you can ask question via the chat in Zoom Webinar, or by sending your question in a text message (the phone number will be displayed during the stream)

Opening Lecture: Invading The Canon – a Disruption Of The Past In The Now. By Keith Zenga King

19:00 / 30 min + Q&A afterwards

Siren calls to abolish the canon, to »fuck the canon«, or to disturb, sound loud, sound hollow and brazen. Currently, this has been answered by some with disgust, fear and a negligent naivety, while others have accepted the challenge timidly, but consciously and not without tensions. Now to the question of what to do with the canon: Keith Zenga King proposes an invasion of the canon. A concentrated load of bodies and feelings, in war with words and language. A radical reinterpretation of literature in the theatre that breathes life into the unspoken, uncertain and unknown in an ever-evolving multicultural society. A tender protest from a queer refugee perspective as resistance to what is and what was.

• Live from Kampnagel (k2), screening to Zoom Webinar and Vimeo.
• In spoken English with simultaneous translation to spoken German, English subtitles and German subtitles.

Das Kritikable Queertett

20:15 / 90 min.

The long-established format »Das literarische Quartett« has always caused disapproval, not only in the feuilleton. For some years now, it has been joined by the criticism that it only covers a part of literature. A format will never cover all perspectives - in this respect, there will and must be criticism of what exists and what is discussed. Instead of working on the status quo, Pajam Masoumi creates an alternative: The Critical Queertett. Here we talk about literature that serves a »different« canon. Our literary critics bring into focus the mainstream media and the literary establishment. The certain irony of wanting to destroy a canon within the framework of an institution is accepted as a challenge with room for self-criticism. »Das Kritikable Queertett« embarks on a search for ways to talk about literature from multiple perspectives, to argue about it and to appreciate it.

Discussed books: »Biskaya« by SchwarzRund, »Betrachtungen einer Barbarin« by Asal Dardan, »Die Schwarze Madonna« by Noah Sow, and »Radikale Zärtlichkeit« by Şeyda Kurt.

Guests: Achan Malonda, Jacinta Nandi, Nele Pollatschek, Maryam Aras. Moderation: Pajam Masoumi

• Prerecorded, screening from Kampnagel (k2) and to Zoom Webinar and Vimeo. • In spoken German, with simultaneous translation to spoken English, German subtitles and English subtitles.