South African Literary Histories - A Lecture by Prof. Hennie van Coller (University of the Free State, Bloemfontein, RSA)
Recently published South African literary histories- Professor Hennie van Coller17 December, 15:00, room 603The focus of this lecture is on some recently published South African literary histories; those of Chapman, Heywood and Kannemeyer. The contentious issue of South African history gains an additional dimension in the sub-genre of literary history. Literary histories are written with the intention of presenting a single unified image of the literary past. This necessitates a dual construction, for not only is the depiction of the literature a construct, but so is the depiction of the past. This implies that literary history is inherently hermeneutical, and that any presentation of the literary past is a narrative that eludes scientific objectivity. Despite this, a narrative is intuitively assessed according to its persuasiveness, range, comprehensiveness, and logic; i.e. on its “illocutionary force”. In keeping with the present emphasis on “literary fields”, Brems is also discussed for his conviction that a literary history should ideally focus on literature as a social phenomenon.
