In the last decades, studies on intermediality have been facing continuous hybridization and diversification of the multisensory milieu in which we live – the emergence of the “culture of convergence”, as defined by Henry Jenkins. It is a perspective that must certainly involve comparative literature, since literary texts are becoming a part of a complex galaxy of media, languages, cultures. Intermediality can thus regain the comparative tradition of inter-art studies, and offer a medium-aware analysis of various hybrid genres, from the most studied to new media: musical theatre, theatrical performance, filmic adaptation, TV series, graphic novels, computer games, video-art, video-clips, advertising.

Established in 2018, the research committee on literature, arts, and media will deal with the new roles and the new configurations of literature in the global polymorphic imagery, including: the dissemination of literary techniques (narration, empathy, point of view, various rhetoric strategies) in every aspect of contemporary culture.

Co-chairs:

Kiene Brillenburg Wurth, University of Utrecht, Netherlands (2023 – )

Jørgen Bruhn, Linnaeus University, Sweden (2023 – )

Former Chair: 

Massimo Fusillo, University of L’Aquila, Italy (2018 – 2023)

Former Vice-Chair:

Marina Grishakova, University of Tartu, Estonia (2018 – 2023)

Members:
Hans-Joachim Backe, IT University of Copenhagen, Denmark
Jan Baetens, KU Leuven, Belgium
Kiene Brillenburg Wurth, University of Utrecht, Netherlands
Jørgen Bruhn, Linnaeus University, Sweden
Philippe Despoix, University of Montréal, Canada
Caroline Fischer, Université de Pau, France
Yorimitsu Hashimoto, University of Osaka, Japan
Karin Kukkonen, University of Oslo, Norway
Christina Ljungberg, University of Zurich, Switzerland
Kai Mikkonen, University of Helsinki, Finland
Haun Saussy, University of Chicago, USA
Márcio Seligmann-Silva, State University of Campinas, UNICAMP, Brazil

The first CLAM Conference took place in 2021 at the University of L’Aquila, with the title “Transcodification: Literatures – Arts – Media” (see the CLAM webpage at https://www.clam-icla.com/)

The first activity of this research group was the ‘Comparison and Intermediality Workshop: The Gesamtkunstwerk’, held at the 2016 ICLA International Congress in Vienna; the proceedings of this workshop will be published by Peter Lang in a separate volume.

The Research Committee held its first constitutive meeting in Tartu in December 2018. Download the programme of that event: CLAM Workshop Tartu 2018.

Download a full description of the committee (English).

The committee accepts new members whose work and research matches the committee profile. New members can join by applying to the committee (by sending their CV and motivation letter to Massimo Fusillo at: massimo.fusillo@gmail.com) and presenting a paper at any of the panels/workshops organized by the Committee at the ICLA congresses or other comparative literature conferences.

To download the yearly reports of the Committee to the ICLA, click below:

CLAM Annual Report 2021-22
CLAM Annual Report Aug2019-Dec2020
CLAM Annual Report 2019-20