Contemporary Scandinavian Literature
A.Y. 2025/2026
Learning objectives
This course aims to present and discuss authors and themes of contemporary Scandinavian literature within their historical and cultural context. Relevant methodological approaches to literary analysis will be used.
Expected learning outcomes
Students will be able to analyze contemporary Scandinavian literature in the original language (partially in Italian translation for BA students) by applying appropriate critical approaches and contextualizing the works in history and culture. They will also be able to identify and discuss problems and issues specific to the topic of the course.
Lesson period: Second semester
Assessment methods: Esame
Assessment result: voto verbalizzato in trentesimi
Single course
This course can be attended as a single course.
Course syllabus and organization
Single session
Responsible
Lesson period
Second semester
Course syllabus
IMPORTANT: The course will be held mainly online. To attend the first lesson, scheduled for 18 February at 10:30 a.m., you must join the session from your computer using the following link:https://teams.live.com/meet/9310794947007?p=DGyhbiDuaqJQ3NOAIc&eventType=community. Students may also attend the lessons on campus by using the classrooms assigned to the course.
The course aims to provide an in-depth exploration of 'otherness' and marginality within the contemporary Scandinavian literary landscape. In particular, it will focus on the cases of Greenland and the Sámi, drawing on the analytical tools offered by postcolonial studies.
The programme is divided into three separate units worth 3 ECTS credits each (A, B, and C). The first two units are contiguous, while the third is to be considered a monographic unit. Units A and B focus on concepts and theoretical frameworks that lend themselves to the analysis of both historical and cultural contexts under investigation, such as the idea of exceptionalism, Arctic orientalism etc. Through close readings of selected passages from the texts belonging to the programme, the course will reflect on the relationship between the contemporary novel and the issues described, which affect Scandinavian society as a whole. The critical literature texts listed in the bibliography will be discussed in class only partially and should be considered as a supplement to the notes.
The course is intended for students enrolled in bachelor's (second and third year) and master's degree programmes in Scandinavian Languages.
For 9 credits, students are required to study the entire programme and will be examined on Units A, B, and C. For 6 credits, students will study and be examined on Units A and B only. However, if, due to specific needs or personal interests, you wish to include Unit C in the examination, please contact the lecturer in good time to agree on the programme.
Primary literary texts may be read in Italian or English translation by first- and second- year students. In all other cases (third-year bachelor's students and master's students), the texts are expected to be read in the original language. The critical bibliography for the exam, which will be discussed in class, includes texts in Scandinavian languages and/or English.
The course aims to provide an in-depth exploration of 'otherness' and marginality within the contemporary Scandinavian literary landscape. In particular, it will focus on the cases of Greenland and the Sámi, drawing on the analytical tools offered by postcolonial studies.
The programme is divided into three separate units worth 3 ECTS credits each (A, B, and C). The first two units are contiguous, while the third is to be considered a monographic unit. Units A and B focus on concepts and theoretical frameworks that lend themselves to the analysis of both historical and cultural contexts under investigation, such as the idea of exceptionalism, Arctic orientalism etc. Through close readings of selected passages from the texts belonging to the programme, the course will reflect on the relationship between the contemporary novel and the issues described, which affect Scandinavian society as a whole. The critical literature texts listed in the bibliography will be discussed in class only partially and should be considered as a supplement to the notes.
The course is intended for students enrolled in bachelor's (second and third year) and master's degree programmes in Scandinavian Languages.
For 9 credits, students are required to study the entire programme and will be examined on Units A, B, and C. For 6 credits, students will study and be examined on Units A and B only. However, if, due to specific needs or personal interests, you wish to include Unit C in the examination, please contact the lecturer in good time to agree on the programme.
Primary literary texts may be read in Italian or English translation by first- and second- year students. In all other cases (third-year bachelor's students and master's students), the texts are expected to be read in the original language. The critical bibliography for the exam, which will be discussed in class, includes texts in Scandinavian languages and/or English.
Prerequisites for admission
The course is intended for second- and third-year students of Scandinavian Languages enrolled in the three-year bachelor's degree programme in Foreign Languages and Literatures, as well as for students enrolled in the master's degree programmes in European and Non-European Languages and Literatures and in Languages and Literatures for Education, Criticism, and Translation. The course is taught in Italian; however, the examination bibliography requires a solid knowledge of Scandinavian languages.
Teaching methods
The course (6 or 9 ECTS) will mainly take place online, with exceptions that will be communicated by the lecturer. Given this particular feature, lectures and the reading and discussion of passages in plenary sessions will be alternated with more interactive approaches (digital teaching, group work, "itinerant" lessons, involvement of guests).
Teaching Resources
Units A and B: Otherness in Contemporary Scandinavian Literature: Between Exceptionalism, Romanticisation, and Oppression
Primary literature:
- Leine, Kim (2012), Profeterne i Evighedsfjorden, Gyldendal, København.
- Mondrup, Iben (2020), Tabita, Politikens Forlag, København.
- Laestadius, Ann-Helén (2021), Stöld : roman, Romanus & Selling, Stockholm.
- Stien, Laila (1997), Vekselsang : roman, Tiden Norsk Forlag.
Secondary literature:
- Höglund, Johan & Linda Andersson Burnett (2019), "Introduction: Nordic Colonialisms and Scandinavian Studies", Scandinavian Studies 91/1-2, pp. 1-12.
- Thisted, Kirsten & Gremaud, Ann-Sofie N. (2020), "Envisioning the North Atlantic: Current Narratives and Official Discourses", in Eaed. (eds.), Denmark and The New North Atlantic. Narratives and Memories in a Former Empire, vol. 1, Aarhus University Press, Aarhus, pp. 19-89.
- Mörkenstam, Ulf (2014), "The Constitution of the Swedish Sámi People: Swedish Sámi Policy and the Justification of the Inner Colonization of Sweden", in J. Tripathy & Sudarsan Padmanabhan (eds.), Becoming Minority: How Discourses and Policies Produce Minorities in Europe and India, SAGE Publications India Pvt Ltd, pp. 88-110.
- Boyle, Tiffany & Carden, Jessica (2016), "Nordic Colonialism and Indigenous People", in Immanuel Ness & Zak Cope (eds.), The Palgrave Encyclopedia of Imperialism and Anti-Imperialism, vol. 1, Palgrave Macmillan, New York, pp. 391-397.
- Brovold, Madelen (2023), "Sámi Feminism and Activism in Ann-Helén Laestadius' Novel Stöld", NORA: Nordic Journal of Women's Studies 31/2, pp. 184-194.
- Weinstock, John (2003), "Laila Stien's 'Vekselsang': A Mirror on Reality", Scandinavian Studies 75/2, pp. 257-272.
- Thisted, Kirsten (2023), "Fiktion, erindringsarbejde og forsoning: Om Astrid Saalbach: Der hvor du ikke vil hen og Iben Mondrup: Tabita som del af et dansk selvopgør med dansk kolonialisme i Grønland", Edda 110/3, pp. 182-195.
- Dybdal, Emilie (2024), "Destabiliserende stemmer: Om forhandlingen af dansk kulturel erindring i Kim Leine og Iben Mondrups grønlandstrilogier", NORDICA - Tidsskrift for nordisk teksthistorie og æstetik 40, 2024, pp. 91-115.
Unità C: Comparing Two Greenlandic (Women's) Voices
Primary Literature:
- Korneliussen, Niviaq (2020), Blomsterdalen, Gyldendal, København.
- Vebæk, Mâliâraq (1982), Historien om Katrine, Høst & Søn, København.
Secondary literature:
- Kleivan, Inge (1997), "Mâliâraq Vebæk - Forfatteren til den første grønlandske roman skrevet af en kvinde", Tidsskriftet Grønland 3, pp. 93-121.
- Meyer, Pernille (2024), "De, Du, Jeg: Fiktionalitet Og Den Aktuelle Grønlandske Selvmordsproblematik i Niviaq Korneliussens Blomsterdalen", Nordlit 52/2, pp. 54-61.
Primary literature:
- Leine, Kim (2012), Profeterne i Evighedsfjorden, Gyldendal, København.
- Mondrup, Iben (2020), Tabita, Politikens Forlag, København.
- Laestadius, Ann-Helén (2021), Stöld : roman, Romanus & Selling, Stockholm.
- Stien, Laila (1997), Vekselsang : roman, Tiden Norsk Forlag.
Secondary literature:
- Höglund, Johan & Linda Andersson Burnett (2019), "Introduction: Nordic Colonialisms and Scandinavian Studies", Scandinavian Studies 91/1-2, pp. 1-12.
- Thisted, Kirsten & Gremaud, Ann-Sofie N. (2020), "Envisioning the North Atlantic: Current Narratives and Official Discourses", in Eaed. (eds.), Denmark and The New North Atlantic. Narratives and Memories in a Former Empire, vol. 1, Aarhus University Press, Aarhus, pp. 19-89.
- Mörkenstam, Ulf (2014), "The Constitution of the Swedish Sámi People: Swedish Sámi Policy and the Justification of the Inner Colonization of Sweden", in J. Tripathy & Sudarsan Padmanabhan (eds.), Becoming Minority: How Discourses and Policies Produce Minorities in Europe and India, SAGE Publications India Pvt Ltd, pp. 88-110.
- Boyle, Tiffany & Carden, Jessica (2016), "Nordic Colonialism and Indigenous People", in Immanuel Ness & Zak Cope (eds.), The Palgrave Encyclopedia of Imperialism and Anti-Imperialism, vol. 1, Palgrave Macmillan, New York, pp. 391-397.
- Brovold, Madelen (2023), "Sámi Feminism and Activism in Ann-Helén Laestadius' Novel Stöld", NORA: Nordic Journal of Women's Studies 31/2, pp. 184-194.
- Weinstock, John (2003), "Laila Stien's 'Vekselsang': A Mirror on Reality", Scandinavian Studies 75/2, pp. 257-272.
- Thisted, Kirsten (2023), "Fiktion, erindringsarbejde og forsoning: Om Astrid Saalbach: Der hvor du ikke vil hen og Iben Mondrup: Tabita som del af et dansk selvopgør med dansk kolonialisme i Grønland", Edda 110/3, pp. 182-195.
- Dybdal, Emilie (2024), "Destabiliserende stemmer: Om forhandlingen af dansk kulturel erindring i Kim Leine og Iben Mondrups grønlandstrilogier", NORDICA - Tidsskrift for nordisk teksthistorie og æstetik 40, 2024, pp. 91-115.
Unità C: Comparing Two Greenlandic (Women's) Voices
Primary Literature:
- Korneliussen, Niviaq (2020), Blomsterdalen, Gyldendal, København.
- Vebæk, Mâliâraq (1982), Historien om Katrine, Høst & Søn, København.
Secondary literature:
- Kleivan, Inge (1997), "Mâliâraq Vebæk - Forfatteren til den første grønlandske roman skrevet af en kvinde", Tidsskriftet Grønland 3, pp. 93-121.
- Meyer, Pernille (2024), "De, Du, Jeg: Fiktionalitet Og Den Aktuelle Grønlandske Selvmordsproblematik i Niviaq Korneliussens Blomsterdalen", Nordlit 52/2, pp. 54-61.
Assessment methods and Criteria
Students will be assessed through an oral examination conducted by the instructor. Students are expected to be able to answer questions concerning topics discussed in class; to provide analyses and comments to passages from the novels on the reading list; to demonstrate the capacity to contextualize the literary works and analyse structural elements also with the help of the methodological tools provided in the theoretical texts present in the course syllabus.
For Unit C: all students will be required to produce a presentation focusing on a specific aspect of their choice from one of the two novels on the syllabus.
Undergraduate students can choose whether to take the exam in Italian or in Danish, Norwegian, or Swedish. Grades are on a scale of 30, with a minimum of 18 (pass) and a maximum of 30+lode. Students have the right to reject the mark. Master's students will take the exam in Danish, Swedish or Norwegian, depending on their specialisation.
International and Erasmus students are requested to contact the instructor upon arrival if they intend to take this course.
For Unit C: all students will be required to produce a presentation focusing on a specific aspect of their choice from one of the two novels on the syllabus.
Undergraduate students can choose whether to take the exam in Italian or in Danish, Norwegian, or Swedish. Grades are on a scale of 30, with a minimum of 18 (pass) and a maximum of 30+lode. Students have the right to reject the mark. Master's students will take the exam in Danish, Swedish or Norwegian, depending on their specialisation.
International and Erasmus students are requested to contact the instructor upon arrival if they intend to take this course.
Modules or teaching units
Unita' didattica A
L-LIN/15 - NORDIC LANGUAGES AND LITERATURES - University credits: 3
Lessons: 20 hours
Unita' didattica B+C
L-LIN/15 - NORDIC LANGUAGES AND LITERATURES - University credits: 6
Lessons: 40 hours
Professor(s)