Ella Tennant, English Language Teaching Fellow at Keele University, has recently presented her work on language in Japanese feminist poetry at the Talking Bodies 2019 Conference.

In recognition of her Higher Education Academy (HEA) work, The Keele Institute for Innovation and Teaching Excellence (KIITE) funded Ella’s attendance at the conference, organised by the Institute of Gender Studies at Chester University. The international, interdisciplinary event was held over four days from 10th - 13th April 2019. Ella presented her work entitled ‘Eroticism and Emancipation - the Evocative Power of the Body in the Poems of Akiko Yosano’ as part of panel on (post) colonial bodies, and also chaired a panel discussion.

Ella commented:

“I gave my presentation on the Thursday as part of a panel ‘(Post) Colonial Bodies 1’. My work on language in relation to feminism and power in Japanese poetry: ‘Eroticism and Emancipation - the Evocative Power of the Body in the Poems of Akiko Yosano’ was sandwiched between a speaker from the University of Capetown presenting her work on developing awareness among women of sexual pleasure, and a speaker from Warwick on the female body as resistance in Turkish literature.”

In addition to the presentation, Ella also chaired the ‘(Post) Colonial Bodies 2’ panel which led to discussions on Arab women's writing, female resistance and the Hijab, and a later plenary session.

Ella added:

“The event was thoroughly enjoyable, intellectually stimulating and has clear possibilities of further/future outputs.”

For more information on this event, please visit the Talking Bodies 2019 conference webpage.