Call for papers: Food and Taste in Travel Writing: Comparative Representations in Post-Colonial Literary and Visual Culture

Deadline for abstract submissions: November 1, 2023
Deadline for full article: July 1, 2024
Name of organisation: Dutch Centre for Travel Writing Studies, Leiden University Centre for the Arts in Society (LUCAS)
Contact email: a.s.arps@uva.nl

Food, travel, and colonialism are inextricably intertwined in representations, both past and present, of colonies such as the Dutch East Indies. Food has been represented differently in colonial and post-colonial times and its function has varied. In the context of the Dutch East Indies, food has previously been analysed as a means to regulate what it meant to be European in the colony (Protschky 2008), as a sign of civilization in internment camps (Captain 2009),  and as an important identity marker in boarding houses after the so-called ‘repatriation’ (Arps 2022).

Despite its consistent reappearance in travelogues, encompassing studies of travel writing have never taken ‘food’ as sole object of study. Recent edited volumes include it indirectly (Das and Youngs 2019) or as vehicle for sensous geographies such as tasting (Youngs and Pettinger 2019). Although in these works food is present, it is not central. In Keywords in Travel Writing Studies: A Critical Glossary (Forsdick, Kinsley, and Walchester 2019), one hundred keywords are included that are to define the field of travel writing, yet ‘food’ is not one of them. In food studies, the relation between food and travel has been studied more elaborately. Studying the relation between food and travel teaches us the underlying political, social, and cultural relevance of food, argues Fabio Parasecoli (2008). The relation between food and travel can inform us on how it mediates comparison, empathy and expression (Tam and Frost 2008). This volume connects the interdisciplinary perspectives that culinary travelogues on the Dutch East Indies and other former colonies offer in the fields of Literary Studies, Postcolonial Studies, Dutch Studies, Travel Writing Studies, Film Studies, Media Studies, Food Studies, and Memory Studies. Following the inaugural volume Animals in Dutch Travel Writing, 1800-Present (Leiden University Press, 2023), this second volume of the Dutch Centre for Travel Writing Studies invites scholars to think of possible answers to the question: what role does food play in post-colonial travel writing about colonial history? Contributions should analyse modern post-colonial sources that are considered extended travel writing, taken to be forms of travel storytelling extended from the literary to the visual medium with food in a colonial context as main research topic. Our aim is to include five chapters on the Dutch East Indies and five chapters on comparable colonial societies.

We invite contributions on, but not limited to, food and/as/in:

• Class distinction
• Novels
• Cultural capital
• Taste
• Travel reports
• Ego documents
• Containers of knowledge
• Cultural heritage
• Life-writing
• Cultural memory
• Diaspora
• National and/or cultural identity
• Expeditions
• Home movies
• Documentaries
• Road movies
• Stereotype
• Roots travels
• Visual art
• Power
• Etc.

The volume’s intended publisher is Amsterdam University Press. Its editors are dr. Arnoud Arps (University of California, Los Angeles & University of Amsterdam), dr. Marijke Denger (University of Bern & Leiden University), and prof. dr. Rick Honings (Leiden University). Papers should not exceed the word limit (8000 words, bibliography and notes included).

Style: Chicago.

Please submit abstracts by email by November 1, 2023. Word limit: 350 words, including a short CV.

If you have any questions, don’t hesitate to contact us at: a.s.arps@uva.nl

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Image: Southeast Asian Caribbean Images (KITLV) / KITLV A1121 – Het kopen van eten bij een straatverkoper tijdens een uitstapje met de auto, vermoedelijk op Sumatra’s Westkust

We are looking for an assistant professor of visual and material culture to strengthen our research and teaching within the Department of Arts & Culture, History and Antiquity (AHA) of the Faculty of Humanities

JOB DESCRIPTION
We seek a colleague who can contribute to (and further develop) our interdisciplinary teaching and research. We teach in Dutch and English in a bachelor’s programme (Media, Art, Design, and Architecture, MKDA), and in several master’s programmes in Arts & Culture and the research master’s in Humanities. We expect the candidate to participate in interdisciplinary international networks with research that enriches our approach to the history/theory of art, design, media and architecture. We offer a tenure track contract.

Your duties

• create a stimulating educational environment for students of all levels (bachelor, master, PhD)
• conduct innovative research (within the interfaculty research institute CLUE+) and publish about it in the relevant national and international academic journals
• working together with your colleagues on the further development of  research and education within the department of Arts & Culture
• active involvement in the application and acquisition of external research grants, both individually and in cooperation with colleagues

REQUIREMENTS

• a completed PhD dissertation in the humanities with a focus on the history and/or theory of visual and/or material culture
• research output appropriate to career stage, evidenced by peer-reviewed publications
• relevant teaching experience at BA and MA level, evidenced by good evaluations
• in possession of the Dutch Basic Teaching Qualification (BKO) or equivalent, or willing to obtain it within the foreseeable future
• excellent command of both English and Dutch (preferably from the start, alternatively willing to achieve level C1 in both languages in two years time)
• extensive knowledge of the (history of) visual and material culture, preferably from an interdisciplinary or transhistorical perspective (think of media art, environmental humanities, creativity), and a critical engagement with  established disciplinary/western canons

WHAT ARE WE OFFERING?

We offer a tenure-track position at the level of Assistant Professor initially for the duration of 5 years starting 1 December 2023. Tenure can be achieved if the faculty criteria for Assistant Professor are fulfilled. For the duration of the tenure track, performance will be evaluated in terms of teaching, publication record, attempts to acquire research funding either individually or in consortia, academic service and valorisation.

On full-time basis the remuneration amounts to a minimum gross monthly salary of € 3,974 (scale 11) and a maximum € 5,439 (scale 11), depending on your education and experience. The job profile is based on the university job ranking system and is vacant for at least 0.8 FTE.

Additionally, Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam offers excellent fringe benefits and various schemes and regulations to promote a good work/life balance, such as:

• a maximum of 41 days of annual leave based on full-time employment
• 8% holiday allowance and 8.3% end-of-year bonus
• solid pension scheme (ABP)
• optional model for designing a personalized benefits package

ABOUT VRIJE UNIVERSITEIT AMSTERDAM

The ambition of Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam is clear: to contribute to a better world through outstanding education and ground-breaking research. We strive to be a university where personal development and commitment to society play a leading role. A university where people from different disciplines and backgrounds collaborate to achieve innovations and to generate new knowledge. Our teaching and research encompass the entire spectrum of academic endeavor – from the humanities, the social sciences and the natural sciences through to the life sciences and the medical sciences.

Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam is home to more than 31,000 students. We employ over 5,000 individuals. The VU campus is easily accessible and located in the heart of Amsterdam’s Zuidas district, a truly inspiring environment for teaching and research.

Diversity

We are an inclusive university community. Diversity is one of our most important values. We believe that engaging in international activities and welcoming students and staff from a wide variety of backgrounds enhances the quality of our education and research. We are always looking for people who can enrich our world with their own unique perspectives and experiences.

Faculty of Humanities

The Faculty of Humanities links a number of fields of study: Language, Literature and Communication, Art & Culture, History, Antiquities and Philosophy. Our teaching and research focus on current societal and scientific themes: from artificial intelligence to visual culture, from urbanization to the history of slavery, from ‘fake news’ in journalism to communication in organizations. We strive to ensure small group sizes. Innovative education and interdisciplinary research are our hallmarks.

Working at the Faculty of Humanities means making a real contribution to the quality of leading education and research in an inspiring and personal work and study climate. We employ more than 450 staff members, and we are home to around 2,000 students.

APPLICATION
Are you interested in this position? Please apply via the application button and upload your curriculum vitae and cover letter until 15 August 2023.

Applications received by e-mail will not be processed.

Vacancy questions
If you have any questions regarding this vacancy, you may contact:

Name: Prof. Dr. Katja Kwastek
Position: Professor of Art History
E-mail: k.kwastek@vu.nl

More information and application.