Flemish, Scottish, and Other European Minority Literatures [antikvár]

PrefaceMost essays in this volume had a trial run at a conference in Antwerp on September 20-21 1993, as a joint venture of the University of Glasgow and the University of Antwerp, subsidized by the British Council and the Flemish Research Fund. The affiliations of the contributors date back to the time of submission of the manuscript.I would like to recognize the good offices of research assistant Peter de Leeuw, who made himself eminently useful for the conference without however being represented in the present volume because of assorted complications.Until my retirement in 2004 the University of Antwerp was the only in the Benelux to offer at least one course on Scottish Studies every two years, and our students also benefited greatly from an Erasmus linkage with the University of Glasgow. Unfortunately the University of Antwerp failed to develop an attractive Humanities program in English after its European Studies Program (founded by me in 1988) was myopically terminated in 1995, with the disastrous result that no Scottish students came to Antwerp and that the University of Glasgow had to discontinue the Erasmus linkage in 2004. We owe Glasgow for having been so hospitable to Flemish students, and for the sad state of affairs today we can only blame ourselves (or The Powers That Be).Even though celebration is not in order, the present volume at least testifies to some productive interaction in the field of scholarship.Dr. Maggie Bowers kindly straightened out some manuscripts and Dr. Frank Matton provided also more general editorial assistance. Koen Dewachter negotiated nearly insurmountable conversion obstacles.This publication has been made possible by a grant from the University of Antwerp.Joris Duytschaever,Emeritus Professor of Comparative literature, University of Antwerp, Universiteitsplein 1, B-2610 Wilrijk, Belgium.joris.duytschaever@ua.ac.be