News

 Image credit: Patricija Česonytė

Discourse Magazine is back – and this time, we’re diving into the world of genre writing!

Do you live for the thrill of detective fiction, the eerie beauty of horror, or the wonder of fantasy and sci-fi? Is your heart in historical fiction, magical realism, or timeless romance? This issue invites you to explore and reflect on the genre that speaks to you most – the one that first made you fall in love with stories, shaped your voice, or changed the way you see the world.

Whether you write prose, poetry, or nonfiction, we want your work – and your reflections on why genre matters.

Deadline: June 30

More info & submission guidelines can be found here.

We are delighted to invite you to the 1ˢᵗ Student Conference on Linguistic and Intercultural Research, which will take place on-site on 6 May 2025 at the Institute of Foreign Languages, Faculty of Philology, Vilnius University. This event aims to bring together students to exchange insights and research findings on topics related to linguistics and intercultural communication.

Join us for a face-to-face gathering where we can connect, share ideas, and collaborate in person!

Programe

Photo by Arturas Valiauga

Blended Intensive Program (BIP) under the Erasmus+ Program “Orient in Lithuania and Turkology Studies” will take place from the 12th of May 2025 till the 16th of May 2025 at Vilnius University Faculty of Philology. This international event will bring together over 30 Turkology scholars from Türkiye, Poland, Germany, Austria, and Lithuania to share their academic insights and cultural experiences.

Participants will enjoy an intensive academic and cultural programme: lectures, workshops, and discussions on Turkology, including topics such as the history of the Lithuanian language, Orientalism in Lithuanian literature, and research on Karaimic and Tatar studies.

The week will also feature guided tours, exhibitions, museum visits, and cultural events, offering the opportunity to explore the traditions of Lithuania's Turkic communities (Karaims and Tatars) and enjoy traditional Lithuanian, Karaim, and Tatar cuisine.

Opening Ceremony will take place on the 12th of May 2025 at 10:00 a.m. at Room 118 (V. Krėvės), Faculty of Philology, Vilnius University (Universiteto str. 5, Vilnius).

The programme can be found here.

Organised and supported by:

Erasmus+ Programme

Vilnius University, Faculty of Philology

Vilnius City Municipality

The Faculty of Humanities at the University of Latvia is pleased to announce the 12th Baltic Student Conference "Bridges in the Baltics", which will take place in Riga, Latvia on October 9-10, 2025. The aim of the conference is to bring together students whose studies and research are related to the languages and cultures of the three Baltic States. It offers an opportunity to present academic work, exchange ideas with fellow students from other universities and countries, and establish new contacts across the region and beyond. The conference welcomes everyone who is currently pursuing a Bachelor's, Master's or PhD degree at any university in the Baltic States or elsewhere to submit proposals on any of the following aspects of the Baltic countries:

• language and literature;
• history, folklore and culture;
• arts, film and music;

modern technology and innovation in the Baltic societies; political and social developments in the Baltic region. The working languages of the conference are Lithuanian, Latvian, Estonian and English. Everyone is welcome to give their presentation in any language mentioned above and we encourage using the languages of the Baltic States. However, the abstract and presentation slides should be in English. Please complete the application form providing the registration data and your abstract (not exceeding 200 words without references) by June 30. Letters of acceptance will be sent by July 10.

10-11 April, 9am the traditional and every year new Scandinavian Lecturers' Conference will take place in the Department of Philology, Room 92. This year's conference will look at Scandinavian literature from a queer perspective, challenging traditional, normative definitions of identity, especially (but not only) gender.

The event will bring together writers, performers and researchers from five Nordic countries to present their work and insights, contributing to the literary and cultural dialogue in the region. The conference is a great opportunity to explore the literary worlds of the Nordic countries and their influence on contemporary trends.

Participants and countries:

• Madame Nielsen (Denmark)
• Moa Backe Åstot (Sweden)
• Siiri Enoranta (Finland)
• Eva Rún Snorradóttir (Iceland)
• Robin Van de Walle (Norway)
• prof. Jenny Björklund (Sweden)

Lectures and discussions will be held in both Scandinavian and English.

The conference programme and more information about the participants can be found at the Scandinavian Studies Centre FB profile.

The conference programme can be found here.

The conference is organised by the Scandinavian Studies Centre guest speakers Kristian Nikolaj Rasmussen, Sturla Sagli, Taina Mylläri and Gun-Marie Margareta Larsson.

The conference is supported by the Nordic Council for Study Abroad (SNU), the Danish Cultural Institute and the embassies of Norway, Finland and Sweden in Lithuania.

Prof. Kęstutis Nastopka / Vilnius Universitety Library photo

The 2025 issue of Semiotika ("Literary Organon") is dedicated to the memory of the journal's founder and long-time editor, Professor Kęstutis Nastopka (1940-2024). The counterpoint is Nastopka's view that semiotics should not be understood as a canon providing a list of definitive answers, but as an organon - a constant quest. The professor's encouragement to test the theory with concrete analyses, primarily of literature and mythology, while remaining open to texts of all kinds and genres, orients this publication towards an organic style of questioning. The main subject of this issue - literature, and thus literary research - is not taken for granted value, but rather a theme that requires rethinking and discussions. Recalling Nastopka's idea that the questions arising for the researcher are always questions for himself, this publication proposes the following questions for consideration:

• What is remaining of the traditional definition of literature? What is the position of literature in the current media and art systems?  Do we already live in a post-literary world?
• What is the role of literature in the face of war conflicts, pandemics, and other cataclysms?
• Is literary theory still relevant?
• What are the perspectives of literary semiotics and the possibilities of links with other methods?
• Is there a mythic dimension to literature in contemporary texts?
• What is characteristic of the language of contemporary poetry?
• What is undoubtedly valuable, and what invites polemics in Kęstutis Nastopka's research?

The deadline for article submissions is July 31, 2025.

Semiotika is an open-access and peer-reviewed research journal. It publishes original papers in Lithuanian, English, and French. The journal does not charge article processing charges or submission charges.  Please refer to the Authors Guidelines section for more detailed information.

 Image credit: Ugnė Andriejūnaitė

The International Student Conference "English Studies 2025: Discourse and Society", which will take place on 10-11 April in the Department of Philology.

This annual conference aims to provide a platform for students to present and discuss their research in English Studies, focusing on the role of discourse in language, literature and cultural representation. Its aims include fostering interdisciplinary conversations, bringing together students and scholars from different English Studies disciplines, providing an opportunity to link theoretical knowledge with practical research, and encouraging the development of critical thinking, creativity and interdisciplinary collaboration, encouraging the analysis of the impact of language on societal norms, values and cultural narratives.

The conference has become an international event, attracting students from different countries. The international aspect has not only broadened the exchange of ideas, but has also helped students to deepen their understanding of perspectives in English Language and Literature and Cultural Studies. Presentations by foreign scholars and a series of seminars organised by our faculty colleagues have enriched the conference experience, allowing participants to deepen their research and expand their academic network.

The conference becomes a dynamic platform for students to present their research and receive valuable feedback from faculty and peers. This contact with professors and other students fosters intellectual growth. Students become more aware of their academic skills and how they relate to their future careers.

It is also an opportunity to meet with colleagues, lecturers and other academic and social partners and to share experiences and ideas that will contribute to the development of their future visions for the study of the English language, literature and culture.

This conference is an important event for the academic community in English Studies. It has contributed to the professional development of generations of students of English Philology and English Studies.

 The link to the conference page can be found here.

You can find the event programme here.

The Book of Abstracts can be found here.

The LKVTI Literature Seminar will be held in English and will take place on Tuesday, 1 April, at 11 am in Jonas Balkevičius Auditorium.

This time, our speaker will be a post-doctoral fellow from the Centre for Studies in Comparative Literature at the Faculty of Philology Daria Semenova.

The topic of her presentation:

How postcolonial studies can help research Eastern European literatures and cultures today

The abstract of the presentation:

Postcolonial criticism has been an important analytical strain in cultural and literary studies in Western academia since the 1970s. However, for the few notable exceptions, there has been a reluctance to apply the paradigm of postcolonial studies to the cultural aspects of the domination by the Russian Empire and the Soviet Union over the conquered territories and satellite states in Eastern and Central Europe. Some change has been brought by the understanding of the colonial nature of Russia's war against Ukraine and the need for continued cultural decolonization to counter the neo-imperial ambitions of the "Russian world." This presentation offers an introductory overview of the topic.

Daria Semenova is primarily interested in the potential of genre fiction to shape the readers’ understanding of the world and themselves. She obtained her PhD in Slavic Languages and Literatures from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign in 2023, with a dissertation entitled “At Home and Away: Community Belonging in Polish, Russian, and Ukrainian Adventure Fiction, 1918-1960.” Her new research project is dedicated to space and memory in Ukrainian fiction for children and young adults since independence.

Those who cannot attend, please connect to the seminar via Zoom.

We look forward to seeing you all at the Seminar!