Call for Papers: Workshop on Craft Practices in Scandinavian Literature and Culture (DE)

The planned workshop will focus on the theme of craft practices in Scandinavian literature and culture. In the Nordic countries, crafts – ranging from textile work to woodworking – have historically been, and continue to be, significant elements of cultural heritage. Despite their cultural relevance, they have received relatively limited scholarly attention within Scandinavian studies. This is due in part, particularly in the case of textile work, to their frequent association with femininity and everyday life, which has often resulted in their marginalization as serious cultural or artistic practices.

Upon closer examination, craft practices emerge as a field of agency not only for women but also for other marginalized groups, having played a crucial role in shaping various social processes across the Nordic region. For example, textile crafts were closely connected to emancipation movements. Particularly during the 19th century, this domain offered a space in which women asserted economic autonomy, artistic authorship, and institutional leadership. Such institutions contributed significantly to processes of nation-building – for instance, through the husflid movement in Norway, which supported the renewal of traditional costumes, or through networks surrounding Svensk Hemslöjd in Sweden.

In literary studies, examining works such as Henrik Ibsen’s dramas through the lens of craft practices can generate new analytical insights. Alternative epistemologies are also deeply embedded in craft, as seen in the practices of the Sámi and in the role of textiles and manual crafts within memory culture and cultural heritage. These considerations raise important questions regarding the role of materiality and craft in textual and knowledge spaces in both historical and contemporary contexts.

Craft practices, as a subject of research, offer a productive framework through which various scholarly questions and fields may be revisited and reframed. The organizers at the Nordeuropa-Institut, Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, call for participation in a workshop that aims to bring together scholars from Germany and the Nordic countries to engage with this topic, foster academic exchange, and initiate a research network focused on crafts in Scandinavian literature and culture. Organized in collaboration with students, the event will also provide a platform for supporting emerging researchers.

Proposals are invited for 20-minute presentations in English, a Scandinavian language, or German. Contributions may address a wide range of topics related to the workshop theme. Abstracts (approximately 250 words), including institutional affiliation and a short biography (maximum 150 words), should be submitted by 30 September 2025 to Dr. Dörte Linke (doerte.linke@hu-berlin.de). Proposals from scholars at all career stages, including early career researchers and students, are welcome. Accommodation costs in Berlin will be covered.

Organizers are Dr. Dörte Linke (Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin), Nora Ouwerkerk (Student), Joseph Bülow (Student).