Towards an assemblage approach to literary geography

Anderson, Jon ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-6052-5154 2015. Towards an assemblage approach to literary geography. Literary Geographies 1 (2) , pp. 120-137.

Preview

PDF - Accepted Post-Print Version Download (569kB) | Preview

Abstract

Over recent years literary geography has adopted a relational approach to its subject matter. This article continues this move, suggesting that assemblage theory can help develop the sub-discipline in two interrelated ways. Firstly, at a project level, assemblage theory enables literary geographers to identify all components that have agency and influence over the power of fiction (including authors, translators, publishers, readers, places, etc). As part of this first argument, the article develops Hones’ concept of reading fiction as a ‘spatial event’ (Hones, 2008, 2014). This article interacts with Hones’ textual ‘happening’ and seeks to emphasise the valence of the spatial event of fiction on reader relations to material and social geographies. It offers a short case study from the work of novelist Tessa Hadley to illustrate aspects of this valence. Secondly, at the sub disciplinary level, the article argues that assemblage theory may offer a common ground which allows scholars from both literary and geographical positions to locate their writings in the broader set of approaches that define literary geographies.

Item Type:	Article
Date Type:	Publication
Status:	Published
Schools:	Geography and Planning (GEOPL)
Uncontrolled Keywords:	literature; place; spatial event; assemblage; novel
ISSN:	2397-1797
Date of First Compliant Deposit:	29 August 2017
Date of Acceptance:	31 January 2015
Last Modified:	24 Nov 2024 16:45
URI:	https://orca.cardiff.ac.uk/id/eprint/104062

Citation Data

Actions (repository staff only)

Edit Item