Folktales, storytelling, and the politics of interpretation

Communities exist in a context of tension, between social forces which seek to organise and control their world view and more disruptive forces which undermine the status quo and resist oppressive power.

This context is exemplified in the relationship between folk tales, the oral tradition and authored narratives, where the transition from community text to a single perspective can be seen as an organising force which often supports the prioritisation or dominance of a particular society.

Using examples from the African diaspora and European medieval and nineteenth-century environments, crossing continents as well as centuries, this cultural conversation will explore these tensions and relationships, considering colonial legacies and the way in which social and political ambitions (in particular, cultural and national identity) are played out in folklore traditions, both in terms of content and context.

Leeds Cultural Conversations is a series of public lectures organised by the Centre for Culture and Humanities at Leeds Beckett University. The series is run in partnership with Leeds Central Library and each event showcases a different piece of leading research being undertaken by our academic colleagues to a wider public audience, with discussion and debate encouraged by all that attend.