Theme: emotions in literature, culture, and language

In recent decades, the discourse within the humanities has undergone various transformations, with emotions emerging as a significant focus by the end of the last century. Emotions have evolved into not only a compelling subject for scholars across diverse disciplines but also a rigorous analytical category that demands extensive interdisciplinary expertise.

While inquiries into the emotions experienced by literary characters, cultural consumers, and language users are not novel, our rapidly changing reality compels us to reexamine these questions. We invite you to participate in a collaborative exploration of issues pertaining to emotions in literature and culture, considering both contemporary and historical perspectives. We seek reflections on the affective conditions that underlie various literary, cultural, and linguistic phenomena.

We encourage contributions to the volume Annales UMCS. Sec. FF, which will focus on topics such as:

• Emotions in Polish literature and world literatures (case studies, comparative analyses);
• Cultural and historical contexts of emotional expression;
• Theoretical frameworks and methodologies in literary, linguistic, and cultural studies addressing affective themes;
• Emotions in the reception of literature and culture;
• Mechanisms of emotional expression in literary, cultural, and linguistic contexts;
• The language of positive and aversive emotions;
• Emotions in ego-documents;
• The interplay between empathy and emotions;
• Exploration of emotionality;
• Emotions as instruments for describing, shaping, interpreting, and reinterpreting the represented world and subjectivity.
• Representation and experience of emotions in digital literature, social media, and online communities
• the relationship between emotions and memory (emotional memory in literary texs)
• Ecology and emotions – emotional responses to environmental issues and their literary andcultural representations
• resilience and coping mechanisms in response to trauma and adversity in literature and culture
• literary representations of mental health and emotional well-being.
• the role of humor in eliciting emotions and/or as a coping mechanism in literature and culutre

The topics outlined above are provided as suggestions, and we are open to considering other relevant topics related to the theme of emotions.

We are accepting article until the end of May 2025. Submissions can be written in Polish, English, Russian, Spanish, Italian, German and/or French.