Images from the Past. Intertextuality in Japanese Premodern Literature

In Japanese premodern literature originality through repetition may be considered a more refined form of creativity. Borrowing rather than a kind of recycling necessitated by a lack of resources, is a building up of allusions creating new effects through the juxtaposition of familiar fragments and reinforcing the subjectivity of a whole group of people.
The international symposium Images from the Past. Intertextuality in Japanese Premodern Literature will explore the role and the meaning of intertextual strategies in Japanese premodern literature through the critical analysis of works belonging to different genres and historical periods. With the participation of many international scholars specialized in several fields, the main aim of this symposium is to encourage a cross-disciplinary approach to the research on Japanese premodern literature meant as a useful tool to grasp cultural and social diversity between East and West.