Media

THE THREE-DAY MOBILIS IN MOBILE INTERNATIONAL CONFERENCE ON STUDIES IN TRAVEL WRITING IS HELD AT HKU STARTING TODAY

11 Jul 2005

The University of Hong Kong (HKU) is playing host to the Mobilis in Mobile International Conference on Studies in Travel Writing from today (July 11) to this Wednesday (July 13) in the Convocation Room, Room 218 of the Main Building in HKU.

Probably one of the largest conferences this year on studies in travel writing, the Conference is organised by HKU's Department of English in collaboration with the journal Studies in Travel Writing and the Centre for Travel Writing Studies of the Nottingham Trent University, UK.

With the main objective to promote the study of travel literature, the Conference provides a forum for scholars from a range of disciplines to share their ideas. It attracted nearly 100 speakers from 25 countries, including a number of leading scholars in this emerging field.

Topics range from medieval pilgrimage to postmodern travel and tourism, and concern most regions of the world from Siberia to Patagonia. There is a concentration of papers presented on travels to, in, from China, Japan and Southeast Asia. Other papers are on exploring theoretical aspects of travel and writing about places.

The three-day Conference is of particular interest to historians, literary scholars, anthropologists, ethnographers and anyone involved in research or teaching cross-cultural approaches. It also helps to foster cross-fertilization of ideas among scholars who are often working in isolation within their institutions.

For media enquiries, please contact Ms. Zoe Yuen of HKU's English Department (Tel: 9497 5927 Email: zoeyhs@hkucc.hku.hk).

Speakers include:

Front (left to right):Mary Baine Campbell (Professor, Dept of English and American Literature, Brandeis University In US), Paul Smethurst (Associate Professor, HKU), Mary Fuller (Associate Professor at MIT) and Peter Bishop (Associate Professor, School of Communications, Information & New Media, The University of South Australia)

Back (left to right): Peter Hulme (Professor in Literature, University of Essex) and Tim Youngs (Professor of English and Travel Studies, Nottingham Trent University)