The Cartography of the Political Novel in Europe

This book is more than an inspiration!
Thank you, Natasa Kovacevic, for such an excellent study, as our world would be much poorer without it.

Internationalist Sensibilities of Literature: A Review of Nataša Kovačević’s Nonaligned Imagination | PWD This review presents Nataša Kovačević’s Nonaligned Imagination (2025) as a major intervention in understanding the cultural and literary dimensions of the Non-Aligned Movement. Focusing on Yugoslavia’s unique geopolitical position between East, West and the Global South, the book examines how...

Dear followers,

we invite you to a 2-day symposium associated with the new Literature & Politics series (Oxford UP), co-edited by Janice Ho (UBC), Benjamin Kohlmann (Regensburg), and Matthew Taunton (UEA), which will be held at the University of Regensburg on 5-6 June. The symposium brings together a group of scholars in dialogue to address a political keyword from distinct theoretical perspectives and historical angles. Patrick Eiden-Offe, a Caponeu member, will also contribute a response.

The keywords explored at the upcoming symposium include: Pleasure, Infrastructure, Authoritarianism, Decolonization, Insurrection, and Work. The event will be livestreamed on Zoom, so please join if this is of interest. All times in the programme are in Central European Summer Time (GMT+2).

Literature and Politics 2026 Zoom link:

https://uni-regensburg.zoom-x.de/j/63007375332?pwd=c5zwpI22SnpBVadpntegye8GR2Qkzj.1
Meeting-ID: 630 0737 5332
Password: 569107

https://global.oup.com/academic/content/series/l/literature-and-politics-lpol/

📣 Applications are still open for the doctoral school Socialism and the Sea 🌊
The programme focuses on the cultural, social, and political histories of socialism in maritime and coastal contexts, including tourism, leisure, everyday life, mobility, and the Adriatic as a space of exchange and transformation.
The application process is simple and does not require extensive documentation.
Doctoral students working on related topics are warmly encouraged to apply.
More information and application details:

https://www.unipu.hr/ckpis/en/doctoral_workshop/2026?fbclid=IwY2xjawRw__1leHRuA2FlbQIxMQBicmlkETBtNHFGQ2VpSHcyblNkakNKc3J0YwZhcHBfaWQQMjIyMDM5MTc4ODIwMDg5MgABHrqo9YNz9wgyO1zu7HTkXmMzVHws6uKFd6mcOo--9znJr2O1BtuRUPQ4DxEl_aem_Em_g7_B2tOZfkf2lDC6uFw

👏 Big thanks to our Brighton colleagues for all the energy and work they’ve been putting into CAPONEU — a nice reminder of what’s been happening behind the scenes 💙
🎥 Recordings from our CAPONEU Fictions of the Family Workshop (University of Brighton, 19 November 2025) are now available on the CAPONEU YouTube channel ▶️
🗣️ Clare Hemmings — Professor of Feminist Theory at the London School of Economics (LSE) — explores family narratives in a reflective conversation:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sSAkPHkGuSI
💬 Bea Hitchman (novelist & Lecturer in Creative Writing, University of Brighton) and Craig Jordan-Baker (writer & researcher, University of Brighton) discuss family, endings, and the promise of happiness:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZMbtd9WHqAI

A busy and productive week for the CAPONEU team! 📚✨
While part of our consortium was in Poznań for the conference, work in Zagreb continued with the workshop Lektira izvan okvira (Reading Beyond the Canon), held on Friday, 24 April. Conceived and coordinated by Ana Tomljenović, Andrea Milanko, and Igor Medić, the session brought together students, PhD candidates, and school teachers, who also presented their own work and collaborated on developing new reading materials and teacher guides for schools.
From conference halls to classrooms, ideas kept moving. 💡
A big thank you to all participants for their energy, insights, and contributions! 🙌

📢 Last week (22–24 April 2026), we wrapped up the fourth annual CAPONEU Conference in Poznań! 📚✨
The conference, “The Political Novel in Europe Between Democracy and Authoritarianism,” brought together scholars, writers, and policymakers to explore how literature engages with the ever-complicated dance between democracy and authoritarianism.
With a lively mix of academic panels and public conversations with writers, we kept theory and practice not just in the same room, but in active conversation. 💬
👏 Big thanks to the AMU team for the smooth organisation, warm welcome, and for keeping everything running more smoothly than most of the political systems we discussed. 😉
And of course, thank you to everyone who joined, presented, debated, and kept the questions coming! 📖

📢 Join us this week right here in Poznań for the annual CAPONEU Conference! 📚✨
We are thrilled to invite you to the "Conference: Political Novel in Europe Between Democracy and Authoritarianism".

🗓️ When: 22-24 April 2026 📍 Where: Adam Mickiewicz University, Poznań

Why is there a constant need to examine politics through the lens of the novel? Historically, this unique literary form has proven highly effective in illuminating the complex relationship between pro-democratic and pro-authoritarian tendencies. This is why the Political Novel in Europe (PNE) will be the focal point of our conference—serving as a vital aesthetic space where the tension between these opposing political impulses is constantly revealed, embodied, and rigorously debated.

To comprehensively explore these dynamics, the event bridges the gap between theory and practice. The program features both formal academic panels and engaging public meetings with acclaimed writers.

Don't forget to check out the conference program and more details on our official website:

Annual CAPONEU conference: Political Novel in Europe Between Democracy and Authoritarianism Location: The Faculty of Polish and Classical Philology AMU (Fredry 10, Poznań)Organized by: Tomasz Mizerkiewicz, Krystyna Pieniążek-Marković, Anna Gawarecka, Ewa Szperlik, Magda Potok, Błażej Warkocki, Gerard Ronge (all Adam Mickiewicz University in Poznań)Contact: [email protected]

Today, we continued our workshop on Political Novel Lesson Plans (WP7 Political Novel in Action) 📚
Building on yesterday’s discussions, teachers from the UK 🇬🇧, Croatia 🇭🇷, Germany 🇩🇪, and Poland 🇵🇱 further refined their lesson plans and exchanged ideas 💬
A big thank you to all literature teachers for shaping critical thinking and keeping the social relevance of education alive 🙏
A great way to wrap up two days of shared learning 🔄✨

Yesterday, we completed the first day of our workshop on Political Novel Lesson Plans (WP7 Political Novel in Action) 📚
Organised by our colleague Karin Doolan and hosted by the Institute for Social Research in Zagreb (IDIZ), the workshop brought together secondary school teachers from the UK 🇬🇧, Croatia 🇭🇷, Germany 🇩🇪, and Poland 🇵🇱.
Teachers shared their experiences and presented lesson plans, while discussions throughout the day enabled an exchange of ideas, questions, and collegial feedback 💬
Back at it today—more ideas, more discussion, and more collaboration ahead 🔄✨

We started the final sprint today in the development of the CAPONEU digital platform 🚀, led by Slobodna domena. Looking forward to bringing it across the finish line 💻