Writing Politics: The Emergence of Immigrant Writing in West Germany and Austria

Depoliticising literature, politicising diversity: ethno-racial boundaries in Dutch literary professionals’ aesthetic repertoires

“…By defining the novel that way, a history of migrants becomes 'migrant literature'. This term comes to function as an ethno-racial genre label that is often made related to a writer's background -while white migrant writers such as Nabokov, Kundera and Grass, even when migrated, are seldom said to write 'migrant literature' (Sievers 2008). When discussing these novels, one publisher remarked, pointing at 'migrant literature' published in the early 2000s, that 'their value lay mainly in raising awareness'.…”

“…On the other, the literary space is strongly controlled by gatekeepers whose work is guided by firmly established aesthetic principles and genre-oriented norms. Past studies have shown considerable differences in the way ethno-racial minorities' artistic practices have been accepted by established institutions, not only between countries but also regarding form and genre (Martiniello and Lafleur 2008;Sievers 2008;Delhaye and van de Ven 2014). This study takes a similar institutional approach: despite a growing number of studies, there still exists, as DiMaggio andFernández-Kelly (2015: 1237) put it, 'a notable gap in research [concerning] the ways in which the arts are organised -both at the level of the host society and within immigrant communities'.…”

The inclusion of non-Western artistic traditions in cultural policy: Contrasting social justice and public diplomacy approaches

“…One could hypothesize that immigrant-origin artists who mainly rely on sending country resources will tend to protect and bridge cultures, whereas those with plenty of local capital will be in a better position to merge and dissolve them. Another way of looking at their production is as a vehicle for political claims, whose radicalism may be inversely proportional to state and corporate subsidies (Martiniello 2008;Sievers 2008;Grassilli 2008 outside the regions where they predominate). This is done mainly through the administration of earmarked grants for these sectors of the population (henceforth labelled 'minorities').…”

“…For immigrant-origin artists whose identities and practices are rooted in nonWestern traditions, however, gaining access to a wide audience involves overcoming two interrelated obstacles: the lack of demographic representativeness of cultural gatekeepers and their often Eurocentric and nationalist notions of aesthetic merit (Sievers 2008;Grassilli 2008;Zapata-Barrero 2014;Delhaye 2008). Intercultural dialogue, which can be understood as a form of positive action in cultural policy, aims to reverse these trends in various ways, including the establishment of arts councils supporting minority communities; the diversification of management and staff in public cultural organizations; the regulation and negotiation of performance agreements with private ones; fellowships, mentoring and training schemes for foreign-origin creators; and international cooperation through cultural institutes specializing in the organization of artistic events (European Union 2014;Cliche 2010: 51 civilizations.…”

Migrant Poetry – Anthropological Analisys on the Collection of Poems by Drago Trumbetaš

“…Kako ističe Teraoka, različite interpretacije fenomena književnosti migranata direktno zavise od kulturne i političke pozicije iz koje mu se pristupa, drugim rečima, "ono što se naziva 'književnošću gastarbajtera' je zaista predmet sporenja i svi zahtevi koji se tiču njenog imenovanja su duboko strateški i politički" (Teraoka 1987, 82). Pitanje najprikladnijeg izraza kojim bi se ona bliže opisala, kao i interpretativnog okvira koji nameću žanrovske etikete, i danas je predmet diskusije među naučnicima koji se bave ovim poljem "nemačke" književnosti (v. Bayer 2004;Sievers 2008). Naime, od osamdesetih godina korišćeni su različiti nazivi za ovu književnost -književnost gastarbajtera, odnosno književnost gostujućih radnika (Gastarbeiterliteratur), književnost stranaca (Ausländerliteratur), književnost migranata (Migrantenliteratur), književnost stranaca koji pišu na nemačkom jeziku (Literatur deutschschreibender Ausländer) itd.…”