Hybrid Life Writing

This Research Committee explores the recent transnational developments in the field of Hybrid Life Writing (HLW), which we define as the set of practices approaching factual elements from the real life of either the author or another person with the tools of literature, fiction, and/or theory. The main genres we identify under this heading are biofiction, autofiction, autotheory, their various overlaps, and their counterparts in graphic literature and screen formats (the graphic memoir, the biopic, the bio-documentary, etc.), but they exist within a broader constellation of related hybrid modes and forms typified by varying degrees of fictionality, such as exofiction, autodocumentary, autosociobiography, the personal essay, and more. Following the boom of these genres over the past four or five decades, a growing body of scholarly works has shed light on precursors, geographical particularities, relationship to gender and social justice, and innovative narratological features, offering different but complementary critical angles on fundamental aspects of relationality and belonging. Exploring these in the light of expertise from different countries and generations, across theory and practice, strikes us as an important mission for contemporary comparatists. Efforts to integrate hybrid life writing into the critical landscape of World Literature are already underway on some fronts, and our Research Committee will pay special attention to international and transnational dimensions (in terms of circulation and translation, of production and representation, and also of critical assumptions and concerns), seeking to foster a rich dialogue across national and disciplinary borders and promoting new and inclusive paths of inquiry. The Committee aims to be a forum for collaboration between scholars at all stages of their careers, including doctoral students and early career researchers, including through the organization of a range of events (workshops on defining the field and reflecting on its future; online conferences and an in-person or hybrid Group Session at the ICLA Congress in 2028; and short online seminar series). To disseminate the results of the Committee’s work, we aim to publish selected, peer-reviewed proceedings from these events, and make recordings of the online seminars and conferences available when appropriate.

The Research Committee on HLW welcomes new members. Application to join the Committee may be made by any scholar working in the field by submitting to the Committee’s Chair(s) and Secretary a CV and a letter of purpose stating how they can contribute to the Committee’s work. New memberships are approved by the Steering Group. Members must be members of the AILC-ICLA (those who wish to join the Research Committee but are not already ICLA members can take up membership, see the page How to Become a Member).

The RC on HLW welcomes students and early-career scholars. The RC plans to introduce a mentoring scheme for these groups. More information will be published in due course.