The Child Sex Scandal and Modern Irish Literature: Writing the Unspeakable

Irish Studies’ Seminar Series-Spring 2021 – School of Geography, Archaeology and Irish Studies, in association with the Moore Institute, NUI Galway.

Distinguished Professor in English and Disability Studies Joseph Valente, PhD, and the John and Rebecca Moores Professor of English at the University of Houston Margot Gayle Backus, PhD, will speak on their newly published book The Child Sex Scandal and Modern Irish Literature: Writing the Unspeakable. The authors examine modern cultural responses to child sex abuse in Ireland. Beginning with James Joyce, they offer historically contextualized and psychoanalytically informed readings of scandal narratives by nine notable modern Irish authors who actively, pointedly, and persistently question Ireland’s responsibilities regarding its children. Through close, critical readings, a more nuanced and troubling account emerges of how Ireland’s postcolonial heritage has served to enable such abuse.

With a Foreword by Fintan O’Toole, The Child Sex Scandal and Modern Irish Literature refines the debates on why so many Irish children were lost by offering insight into the lived experience of both the children and those who failed them.

Speakers

• Professor Margot Backus (University of Houston)
• Professor Joseph Valente (University at Buffalo, SUNY)

Chair: Dr Nessa Cronin, Centre for Irish Studies, School of Geography, Archaeology and Irish Studies, NUI Galway.

Registration

Please register for this Zoom webinar at: https://nuigalway-ie.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_IViKcWogTpeu3Gnon1QNZA. The session will also be streamed live on the Moore Institute’s Facebook page.

Event Recording