English Studies: Boundaries, Knowledge and Contestations
English Studies: Boundaries, Knowledge and Contestations was a conference organized by the Department of English, Faculty of Arts, as a tribute to Dr Neloufer de Mel, former Senior Professor and Chair of English at the University on the occasion of her retirement from the University of Colombo. The event was held on 1 – 2 August 2024 at the International Centre for Ethnic Studies, Colombo.
The inauguration, held on Thursday 1 August, was graced by the Vice-Chancellor, Senior Professor (Chair) H D Karunaratne, the Dean of the Faculty of Arts, Senior Professor Lasantha Manawadu, and President and Rector of Central European University, Vienna, Austria, Professor Shalini Randeria, as well as many other dignitaries. The keynote address was delivered by Professor Geeta Patel, Professor of Middle Eastern & South Asian Languages & Cultures, and Women, Gender & Sexuality, University of Virginia, USA; it was titled, ‘Home isn’t always where you live: Towards multidisciplinary solidarities’. As the guest of honour, Professor Randeria delivered an address titled ‘Marching to a different drum: Reorienting academic freedom, recovering postcolonial perspectives’. The inauguration ceremony included readings from poetry and short stories by Vivimarie VanderPoorten and Ciara Mandulee Mendis and concluded with an address by Dr Neloufer de Mel.
Fourteen panellists presented papers in five sessions conducted over two days. Participants included academics from the University of Colombo, the University of Peradeniya, the Australian National University, Queen’s University Belfast, Technical University Dresden, Elon University, New York University, Abu Dhabi, the University of Cambridge, Newcastle University and Northumbria University. Their presentations reflected on the contributions made by Dr de Mel’s research and the sites of knowledge that have been marked by her scholarship, such as literature, film, performance, gender, militarisation, law, transitional justice, and arts-based methods in conflict zones.
Reflecting Dr de Mel’s intimate engagement with the arts, the film Payanam (Journey), directed by Visakesa Chandrasekeram, was screened at the conference followed by a discussion with the director and the research team involved in the film production, which included Dr Neloufer de Mel, Ruhanie Perera, and Kamala Vasuki. Scenes from the performance Wicked Witch, written and directed by Sivamohan Sumathy, (co)Winner of the Gratiaen Award for 2001, were performed by Imesha Athukorale, Bandhuka Premawardena, and Sivamohan Sumathy on the first day of the conference. The conference concluded with a performance by the Somalatha Subasinghe Playhouse, directed by Chandana Aluthge and Kaushalya Fernando.
