- If I could read your mind: bringing the personal into the critical
- Date and Time: 15th January 2013, 5.00-6.30pm
- Location: Library, Thomas Coram Research Unit, Institute of Education, University of London, 27-28 Woburn Square, London WC1H 0AA
- Free to attend but please try to book your place in advance. All welcome, especially graduate students.
- I am delighted to have been invited to speak at the Centre for Narrative Research’s seminar series. It seems especially apt to mention the event here, since it was initially prompted by my blog post below, also titled ‘If I Could Read Your Mind’.
- My talk will explore the novel’s capacity to give voice to the marginalized and unarticulated consciousness of characters with severe learning disabilities. Through examples from The Waifs and Strays of Sea View Lodge, and reflection on my poetics, I will examine the inter-relationship between the personal (family, memory, experience) and the critical (both in the social sciences and in literature). In doing so, I will make a case for the novel form to occupy the space still left by memoir and learning disability research, while also investigating the ethical implications of giving voice to the voiceless.
- If you are unable to register prior to the event, you can still attend the seminar and complete the registration form on the day. I hope to see some of you there!
EMMA CLAIRE SWEENEY 
Emma: sounds fascinating. I’ll try and get along.
It would be lovely to see you and to get an update on your novel.