Here you will find researchers who can discuss current questions about the role of literature in society and how it reflects major contemporary social challenges.
French-language literature, culture and society
André Leblanc is a Senior Lecturer in French. He teaches and conducts research on French-language literature, with a particular focus on literary works from France, Switzerland and Québec. His research examines literary self-representation, the role of the author and the way literature relates to questions of politics, identity and society. André has published studies on contemporary French-language authors such as Annie Ernaux and Amélie Nothomb. He teaches literary analysis, literary criticism and literary history.
Can answer questions in English and French.
German-language literature, identity and digital learning environments
Maren Eckart is an Associate Professor of German and a Senior Lecturer. She researches German-language literature and identity construction, as well as how literature, including children’s and young adult literature, is used in teaching. Her research explores identity construction, concepts such as Heimat and space, contemporary depictions of rural life in literature, and didactic issues related to digital literature teaching. Maren has also written about German-language young adult literature in relation to (post)migration and about how online seminars create new learning environments.
Can answer questions in English and German.
Anneli Fjordevik is a Senior Lecturer in German. Her research includes the dissemination of digital literature and language learning in virtual environments. She has also studied how the teaching of literature can be adapted in teacher education and how digitalisation changes both learning and literary practices. Her research addresses German-language children’s and young adult literature, (post-)migration in contemporary literature, and literary identity constructions.
Can answer questions in English and German.
Medieval and early modern literature and writing culture
Iris Ridder is an Associate Professor of Literary Studies and a Senior Lecturer in Educational Work. She is a literary historian specialising in medieval and early modern literature. A central research area is literature connected to working life at the Falun copper mine, where she studied a 17th-century oracle game described as an early example of Swedish working-class literature. This study was awarded a scholarly prize. In addition to her historical research, Ridder studies writing and knowledge formation in higher education, including teacher students’ degree projects. She teaches the theory of knowledge, academic writing, and research methods, and she is Editor-in-Chief of the academic journal Utbildning och lärande (Education and Learning).
Can answer questions in English and German.