Wolfgang Görtschacher Bücher

The tenth international Salzburg conference was focused on the short forms of fiction: the tale, the novella, and the short story. The volume contains selected papers from that three-day event. They address several groups of issues. First, the influence on English short fiction of specific historical texts (One Thousand and One Nights, the medieval dream poem, William Painter). Then there are close readings of contemporary short fiction from many countries and literatures (e. g. Australia, Africa, India, U. S. A., Great Britain, Ireland). Further contributions are attempts to identify nodal points, power lines, currents and cross-currents, forces of tradition and innovation which have kept short fiction alive through the ages. A last group of contributions is concerned with general aspects and theoretical issues, exploring brevity and compactness as aesthetic principles.

Das ist die erklärte Absicht der Herausgeber dieser zweisprachigen Anthologie. Sie bietet ein breites Spektrum britischer Gegenwartslyrik, übersetzt von österreichischen SchriftstellerInnen (unter ihnen Ernst Jandl, Ludwig Laher, Anna Mitgutsch, Hans Raimund, Evelyn Schlag, Raoul Schrott, Peter Waterhouse). Sie haben sich in poetisch-gedanklicher Übereinstimmung der Texte ihrer Kolleginnen und Kollegen aus England, Schottland, Wales und Nordirland angenommen. Der Leser lernt so bedeutende Lyrikerinnen und Lyriker kennen wie David Constantine, Douglas Dunn, Lavinia Greenlaw, Michael Hamburger, Anne MacLeod, Roger McGough, Christopher Middleton, Sean O'Brien, Kathleen Raine und Peter Reading. Die Herausgeber legten Wert darauf, auch Autorinnen und Autoren aufzunehmen, die (wie Pascale Petit) aus privaten oder (wie Michael Hamburger und Merle Collins) aus politischen Gründen in Großbritannien und Nordirland ein neues Zuhause fanden. Daß gerade Michael Hamburger, der vor den Nazis aus Deutschland fliehen mußte, und Merle Collins, die nach der US-Invasion in Grenada zur Emigration genötigt wurde, heute zu den wichtigsten Vermittlern der Literaturen ihrer Ursprungsländer gehören, macht einen besonderen Reiz der Gedichtsammlung aus und gibt dem Titel „So also ist das!“ eine zusätzliche Dimension.

The 9th International Salzburg Conference on English and related literatures and media focused on the portrayal of Austria and its people in literary works across various countries and periods. Initially planned in 1996 as a modest contribution to millennium celebrations, the conference took on a more contentious tone following the 1999 elections, as the Austrian government faced significant criticism domestically and internationally. This shift highlighted that discussions about Austria extend beyond its picturesque landscapes, renowned composers, and culinary delights, as famously noted by King Matthias Corvinus of Hungary. While the idyllic image of Austria persists, the conference also confronted darker aspects of the country’s history and present, which are often suppressed or overlooked. The complexities surrounding public perceptions of Austria are not merely academic; they carry political implications. The volume compiles many of the papers presented at the conference, allowing readers to engage with the diverse arguments and insights shared by approximately thirty scholars from twelve countries, all grappling with the intricate image of Austria.