Nina Liewald Boeken

Nina Liewald analyses literary representations of so-called 'Islamic fundamentalism' by contemporary authors whose cultural background and approach to the subject matter differs substantially: Hanif Kureishi, Sebastian Faulks, Mohsin Hamid and Yasmina Khadra. The author focuses on the narrative depiction of this complex phenomenon and its economic, religious and sociopolitical framework in selected contemporary novels. The interdisciplinary study is offering contextualised readings and combining narratology, literary and cultural studies with approaches from political science. It explores the potential functions of literature in a highly politicised context and specifically the potential of literature to shed light on radicalisation processes and to promote public discourse and intercultural understanding.

2008 marked the 220th anniversary of permanent white settlement in Australia, a year of celebration that also highlighted ongoing tensions. While the tourist industry's portrayal of Australia is rich with Aboriginal motifs, the discussions surrounding frontier conflict, dispossession, and Indigenous rights remain critical to Australian society. This raises questions about the literary responses from both Aboriginal and white authors, particularly how their interpretations diverge from the colonial narratives that have long framed frontier conflict through simplistic notions of civilization versus savagery. Nina Liewald investigates contemporary Australian novels' capacity to challenge these colonial dichotomies and bridge cultural divides, situating them within a broader literary and cultural context. Through detailed narratological analyses, she reveals how colonial stereotypes related to religion, sexuality, violence, language, and orality are represented, questioned, or subverted. The ongoing "History Wars"—a significant debate over the interpretation of Australian history and Aboriginal rights—serve as a crucial backdrop for the novels examined, underscoring the enduring relevance and contentious nature of these issues.