“Beyond Borders: Non-Native Writers and the Shifting Landscape of Japanese Literature”
Featuring Li Kotomi and Yang Yi
Thursday, March 27, 2025, from 6-7:30 p.m.
Zoom (Click here to launch the Zoom.)
BOONE, N.C. — Appalachian State University's Department of Languages, Literatures and Cultures (DLLC) is pleased to present “Beyond Borders: Non-Native Writers and the Shifting Landscape of Japanese Literature,” featuring authors Li Kotomi and Yang Yi, on Thursday, March 27, 2025, from 6-7:30 p.m. on Zoom (Click here to launch the Zoom.). The event is presented as part of the 2025 DLLC Symposium.
The Akutagawa Prize, Japan's most prestigious literary award, has historically reflected Japan’s literary and cultural landscape. In recent years, however, two non-native authors, Kotomi and Yi, have won the coveted prize while writing in Japanese. Their recognition challenges traditional notions of national literature and cultural homogeneity in Japan.
In their presentation, Kotomi and Yi will explore how their works navigate themes of migration, identity and linguistic displacement, aligning with the DLLC Symposium’s theme of "Changing World: Travels, Nations and Cultures." The panel will discuss the evolving space of transnational writers in Japan and how their success reflects broader shifts in Japan’s engagement with multiculturalism.
The event organizers — DLLC faculty members Dr. Kinji Ito, Dr. Xiaofei Tu, Misa Yamamoto and Dr. Wendy Xie — invite faculty, students and community members to join this conversation on literary transnationalism, engaging with how literature can redefine national identities in an era of increasing global movement.
This free event is sponsored by DLLC and the University Forum Lecture Series. For a disability accommodation, visit odr.appstate.edu.
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About the Department of Languages, Literatures and Cultures
The Department of Languages, Literatures and Cultures offers courses that enhance students’ understanding of other cultures and languages as well as their own, making them prepared for lifelong learning in a multicultural world. Learn more at dllc.appstate.edu.
About the University Forum Lecture Series
The University Forum Lecture Series brings nationally prominent speakers to campus. Their views enliven campus dialogue on a variety of issues. Past speakers have included activist Gloria Steinem, conservationist Terry Tempest Williams, presidential historian Harold Holzer, CNN correspondent Peter Bergen and award-winning science journalist Carl Zimmer. Learn more at universityforum.appstate.edu.
Authors Li Kotomi (left) and Yang Yi (right) will present “Beyond Borders: Non-Native Writers and the Shifting Landscape of Japanese Literature” on Thursday, March 27, 2025, from 6-7:30 p.m. on Zoom.
Authors Li Kotomi (left) and Yang Yi (right) will present “Beyond Borders: Non-Native Writers and the Shifting Landscape of Japanese Literature” on Thursday, March 27, 2025, from 6-7:30 p.m. on Zoom.