Conference: Christine de Pizan: Publishing, Politics, and Reception in Premodern Europe

When and Where

Wednesday, August 21, 2024 9:00 am to Friday, August 23, 2024 12:15 pm
Jackman Humanities Building / Thomas Fisher Rare Book Library

Description

The University of Toronto hosts the SSHRC-funded conference, Christine de Pizan: Publishing, Politics, and Reception in Premodern Europe.

Keynote Speaker: former Director of the Centre for Medieval Studies, Suzanne Conklin Akbari (Institute for Advanced Study, Princeton, NJ)
Additional speakers include Scholars from Europe and the United States, in addition to distinguished members of U of T's own Faculty.  


Tentative Schedule

 

Day 1, Wednesday, August 21

 

9:00-9:30 Registration [Jackson Humanities Institute]  

9:30-9:45 Welcome

9:45-11:00: Keynote: [JHI] Suzanne Conklin Akbari (Institute for Advanced Study, Princeton, NJ) "'Tenir son peuple en paix: Rethinking Sovereignty and the Nation with Christine de Pizan's Livre de Paix."  

11:00-11:15 Break

11:15-12:15 Session #1: Readings of Christine [JHI]
Inès Villela-Petit (Independent Curator, Paris, President, French Antiquarian Society) “Christine de Pizan and the first readers of her manuscripts.”
Vanina Kopp (2013-14 PIMS Postdoctoral Fellow, Kolleg für Mittelalter und Neuzeit, an Institute for Advanced Studies at the University of Trier Fellow) “Relight my fire: Christine de Pizan, literary orders and social disorder.” 

12:15-1:30 Lunch (and walk to the Fisher)

1:30-2:30 The Thomas Fisher Rare Book Library Manuscript of Christine’s Livre de Paix [Fisher]
Presentation of Fisher MSS 05041 by Timothy Perry (Department of Rare Books and Special Collections, Thomas Fisher Rare Book Library)
Tania Van Hemelryck (Professor Extraordinaire, University of Louvain-la-Neuve, Belgium) “The Manuscript Tradition of Christine de Pizan's Book of Peace (Livre de Paix).” 

2:30-3:30 [Fisher] Viewing of the manuscript and related materials 

3:30-3:45 Coffee Break

3:45-4:45 Session #2: Christine in Burgundy [Fisher]
Dominique Vanwijnsberghe (Head Researcher, Royal Institute for Cultural Heritage KIK/IRPA, Brussels) "Christine and the Burgundians." 
Helen J. Swift (Professor of Medieval French Studies and Tutorial Fellow, St Hilda's College, Oxford University) "De clergie tresor: Learning as Labour for Peace in Christine de Pizan and Martin Le Franc."  


Day 2, Thursday, August 22

 

10:00-11:30 Session #3: The Devotional Christine  [JHI]
Ann M. Hutchison (Academic Dean Emerita, PIMS) & Dorothea Kullmann (Associate Professor, Department of French & Centre for Medieval Studies, University of Toronto) “Between Devotion, Moral Teaching, and Poetry: Christine de Pizan’s Lyrical Prayers.”
Maureen Boulton (Professor Emerita, University of Notre Dame, Associate Fellow, PIMS, University of Toronto) “Hours & Hours: Christine de Pizan’s Contemplacion de la Passion, the Canonical Hours, and the Office.”
Alison More (Comper Professor in Medieval Studies, St. Michael's College, the University of Toronto) “Spiritual Influences: Ste Elizabeth of Hungary and Christine de Pizan.”

11:30-1:30 Lunch break

1:30-2:30 Session #4: Christine’s Mirrors for Princes and Princesses  [JHI]
Rebecca Kingston (Professor, Political Science Department, University of Toronto) “Christine de Pizan and Plutarch.”
Kelsey Gordon (PhD Candidate, Political Science Department, University of Toronto) “Sex, Love, and Labour in Christine de Pizan’s Book of the City of Ladies.”

2:30-3:00 Coffee break 

3:00-4:00 Session #5: Christine and Italy  [JHI]
Moderator: Elisa Brilli (Director, Centre for Medieval Studies, University of Toronto)
Mary Anne Case (The Arnold I. Shure Professor of Law, the University of Chicago Law School) “Showing that ‘femme est a l'omme pareille’: Novella, daughter of Giovanni d’Andrea, in the Livre de Leesce and the City of Ladies.”
Mihoko Suzuki (Professor Emerita, University of Miami, Florida) “Christine & Machiavelli.” 


Day 3, Friday, August 23

 

10:00-11:00 Session #6: Christine’s English Legacy  [JHI]
Moderator: Sebastian Sobecki (Professor, Later Medieval English Literature and Centre for Medieval Studies, University of Toronto)  
Misty Schieberle (Professor, University of Kansas, Lawrence, KS) “The Reception of Christine’s Epistre Othea in England.”  
Lori J. Walters (Harry F. Williams Professor of French Emerita, Florida State Univ; Visiting Scholar, Centre for Medieval Studies, University of Toronto) “The Reception of Christine's Queen's Manuscript (BL Harley 4431) in England.” 

11:00-11:15 Break

11:15-12:15 Round Table: The Digital Christine: Extending Opportunities for Teaching and Research  [JHI]
Presentation by Christine McWebb (Associate Vice-President, Faculty Planning and Policy, University of Waterloo) followed by discussion with representatives of the Fisher Library, PIMS, Dorothea Kullmann, holder of a SSHRC Insight Grant involving digitization of books of hours, and European presenters interested in the discussion, etc.

Christine de Pizan

Sponsors

Jackman Humanities Institute, Centre for Medieval Studies, Department of Comparative Literature, Department of English, Department of French, Department of Political Science, Pontifical Institute of Mediaeval Studies, University of Toronto Libraries