Memory, narrative and oral history
The Oral History Centre (Miðstöð munnlegrar sögu) and the Institute of History at the University of Iceland are holding a symposium in Þjóðarbókhlaða, the library building at Arngrímsgata 3, on 8 October, 14:00–16:30, under the title Memory, narrative and oral history.
The symposium will discuss the interplay of memory, memories and oral history, and how historians and anthropologists have dealt with it in their own research. The special guest of the symposium is Mats Greiff, Professor at Malmö University, who will talk about oral history as a method of looking at history “from below” and its links with gender, class, nationality and generations. Following that, Greiff will assess the state of oral history today and its future possibilities. Besides Greiff, short talks will be given by Guðmundur Jónsson, Halldóra Kristinsdóttir, Íris Ellenberger, Nína Rós Ísberg, Sólrún Jóhannesdóttir, Þorsteinn Helgason and Örn Hrafnkelsson.
At the symposium a new cataloguing system of the National and University Library of Iceland will be formally launched, which will transform users’ access to the sound recordings in the Library’s keeping.
Programme:
14:00–14:10 Örn Hrafnkelsson, director at the National and University Library of Iceland: Opening of the symposium.
14:10–14:20 Guðmundur Jónsson, Professor of History: Is the Centre on track? Achievements and unfinished tasks in the work of the Oral History Centre.
14:20–14:35 Halldóra Kristinsdóttir, project manager at the Library, and Örn Hrafnkelsson: A revolution in sharing the spoken word. Presenting the Library’s new cataloguing system.
14:35–14:55 Íris Ellenberger, historian: A nation’s memories and oral history in the light of queer nationalism.
14:55–15:15 Nína Rós Ísberg, anthropologist: “We are the forgotten and lost women.” Anthropology and oral history.
15:15–15:30 Coffee break
The Library offers coffee and pastries
15:30–16:10 Mats Greiff, Professor at Malmö University: Oral History, Methodology, Theory and Ideology.
16:10–16:30 Þorsteinn Helgason, Associate Professor of History, and Sólrún Jóhannesdóttir, BA in History and Film Studies: Memory, the self and the conversation.