Literature as an Act of Resistance

The persecuted Iranian writer Omid Shams Gakieh, who lives in Aarhus due to the friby-program (made by OCORN’s – International Cities of Refuge Network), gives a lecture about literature as an act of resistance

Andrea Malraux says: “Art is the only thing that resists death”. He, therefore, links the art or the act of creation as the act of resistance or the act of survival. One could ask: how the act of resistance works in the art of writing as literature? And is the act of resistance limited to resistance against death? How literature resists and against what other than death? What is the relation between human’s resistance and art’s resistance?
Within the stories of 1001 nights, the incomplete narratives of Scheherazade appears as the obvious act of resistance against death and through such resistance it is also an act of resistance against tyranny and atrocity of Shahryar the king. How literature plans and pursues such an act of resistance?
Through this example and several other literary instances we will explore these questions and try to find the origins of resistance in the literature and its relation with the human resistance.

This lecture would be an introduction to a literary workshop in near future. However, anyone interested are welcome on March 26.

About the speaker: Omid Shams has published several books and translations into Farsi, of the American writers Charles Bernstein and Allen Ginsberg, among others, and he takes a great interest in language poetry and Conretism. Also, Omid Shams has written articles about literature, criticism and politics. In particular, his critical and political texts about the regime in Iran led to persecution in his native country, where Omid Shams has been met with detentions, assaults and threats. Therefore, his latest publications have only been published outside his native country.

Litteratur som en modstandshandling

Den forfulgte iranske forfatter Omid Shams Gakieh, der nu bor i Aarhus i forbindelse med friby-programmet (skabt af ICORN’s – International Cities of Refuge Network), holder et foredrag om modstand i litteraturen.

Andrea Malraux siger: “Kunst er det eneste, der modsætter sig døden.” Derfor forbinder han den kunstneriske skabelseshandling med en modstandshandling eller en overlevelseshandling. Man kan stille spørgsmålene: Hvordan fungerer modstandshandlingen, når man skriver litteratur? Og er modstandshandlingen begrænset til en modstand mod døden? Hvordan gør litteratur modstand, og hvad gør den modstand mod ud over døden? Hvad er forholdet mellem menneskets modstand og kunstens modstand?
I Tusind og én nat fremstår Scheherazades ufærdige fortællinger som en åbenlys dødsmodstand, og således er modstanden også en modstand mod kong Shahriars tyranni og grusomhed. Hvordan planlægger og forfølger litteraturen sådan en modstandshandling?
Med dette eksempel og mange andre litterære eksempler undersøger vi disse spørgsmål og prøver at finde modstandens oprindelse i litteraturen og dens relation til den menneskelige modstand.

Foredraget er en introduktion til en litteratur-workshop, der bliver afholdt i den nærmeste fremtid. Alle er dog velkomne.

Foredraget er på engelsk.

Om foredragsholderen: Omid Shams har udgivet flere bøger og oversættelser af blandt andre de amerikanske forfattere Charles Bernstein og Allen Ginsberg til farsi og har en stor interesse for Language Poetry-bevægelsen og konkretisme. Derudover har Omid Shams skrevet artikler om litteratur, kritik og politik. Især de kritiske og politiske tekster om styret i Iran har betydet forfølgelse i hans hjemland, hvor Omid Shams har været udsat for anholdelser, overgreb og trusler. Hans seneste udgivelser er, af samme grund, derfor kun udkommet i udlandet.