Representations of Suicide or Suicidality in Fiction
Due Date: 04-01-2024
Contributions are sought for an edited volume on the representation of suicide or suicidality in fiction. This collection will explore the ethical, moral, and narrative complexities surrounding this topic.
Suicide, often encased in ethical and moral dilemmas, poses challenges in its fictional representation. Works of fiction sometimes trivialize or resort to clichés, thereby neglecting the intricate realities of suicide. This collection seeks chapters that use theoretical lenses—such as feminist, sociological, gender, trauma, race, cultural studies, political, and philosophical perspectives—to critically examine how fiction portrays suicide and suicidality. Contributions that offer diverse cultural, geographical, and interdisciplinary insights beyond the traditional Western lens are welcomed.
Contributors may consider the following questions:
- How can fiction move beyond clichéd representations of suicide?
- What are the narrative implications of existing tropes and clichés about suicide?
- What strategies do authors use to convey the paradoxical and incomprehensible nature of suicide?
- How can narrative challenge the cultural and social silence around suicide?
- How is suicide represented across different cultures and historical periods?
- What are the ethical and moral considerations in depicting suicide in fiction?
- How is suicide “gendered” in literary narratives?
Original proposals addressing these or related topics are welcomed. Submissions are not limited to Anglophone literature. A publisher has expressed interest. First drafts of chapters (5,000–7,000 words, in English, including notes and works cited, conforming to Chicago style) will be due by 10 October 2024.
Submission Guidelines:
Abstract: 300 words
Bio: 150 words (please include professional title or affiliation)
Curriculum vitae (please limit to relevant academic and publishing experience)
Deadline for Submissions: 1 April 2024
Please send your submissions to Lee Okan.