07 November 2014
An exhibition and colloquium to honour Nobel Laureate J.M. Coetzee at UniSA are among the highlights of a suite of events taking place in Adelaide this month in recognition of the distinguished author and recipient of the Nobel Prize in Literature.
The Traverses: J.M.Coetzee in the World colloquium will bring literary experts, students, critics and the wider public together to research the impact of Coetzee’s work on a range of scholars and creative practitioners, at the Bradley Forum at UniSA's City West campus, from November 11.
Traverses, the exhibition, which is being staged at Kerry Packer Civic Gallery throughout November, features rare archival material from the Harry Ransom Center at The University of Texas, showcasing manuscripts, notebooks, films and photographs of the author.
Those attending the exhibition will be able to explore the archive with the help of an interactive mobile app, holding a wealth of critical commentary on Coetzee's works. A sound installation will enable visitors to hear Coetzee reading from published works (the drafts of which are on display), with film adaptations also being shown of Coetzee’s works.
A work of art by Belgium artist, Berlinde Bruyckere, (on loan from University collections: the University of Adelaide) which was created directly in response to Coetzee's writing, will also be displayed at the exhibition, which is being curated by Deputy Director of the Hawke Research Institute, Associate Professor Jennifer Rutherford.
Assoc Prof Rutherford describes the Coetzee themed events as a unique opportunity to gain insight into one of the world’s most famous living writers.
“The drafts, notes and diaries on display in this exhibition provide tantalizing glimpses into Coetzee’s creative processes as his literature evolves from early works forged in the crucible of Apartheid South Africa to the most recent novels written in the very different context of Adelaide,” Assoc Prof Rutherford says.
“Coetzee’s writings attract increasing attention and commentary in literary studies, philosophy, and other fields of humanistic inquiry, including animal rights advocacy, across disciplines and art forms.
“As an author of considerable renown, who has won many international awards throughout his career and whose work has been widely translated, archived and adapted, including for opera and film, it is a real and rare privilege to be able to stage these events, as a tribute to Coetzee, this month.”
The J.M. Coetzee exhibition is being co-hosted by the Hawke Research Institute and the J.M. Coetzee Centre for Creative Practice (University of Adelaide). It will be open from 9am to 5pm weekdays (Thursdays until 7pm) until November 28.
Contact details:
Associate Professor Jennifer Rutherford office (08) 8302 1086 email jennifer.rutherford@unisa.edu.au
Media contact: Will Venn office (08) 8302 0096 email will.venn@unisa.edu.au
