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A Narratology of Criminal Cases
Workshop: "Narrating crimes"

New Perspectives on “Narrating Crimes”

The first worshop organized by the Narratology of Criminal Cases project brought new perspectives on how crimes are narrated both in legal contexts and in the broader culture.

Narrative Crimes Solstrand 2017
The participants. Back row from the left: Erling Aadland (UiB), Erlend Liisberg (UiB), Panu Minkkinen (University of Helsinki), Frode Helmich Pedersen (UiB), Arild Linneberg (UiB), Greta Olson (Justus Liebig University Giessen), Ditlev Tamm (University of Copenhagen), Bjarne Markussen (University of Agder), Matthew Weait (Univserity of Portsmouth). Front row form the left: Janne Sund, Karen-Margrethe Simonsen (Univeristy of Aarhus), Jeanne Gaakeer (Erasmus University Rotterdam), Sofie Marhaug (UiB), Helle Porsdam (Univeristy of Copenhagen).
Photo:
Frode Helmich Pedersen

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The organizers had invited international participants from the project’s research network to give their perspectives on the topic “Narrating Crimes”.

The program included a broad range of papers, which made for a varied and exciting workshop. Some of the speakers focused mostly on legal practices, applying narratological perspectives on various judicial stories. Others discussed narratives of culpability more generally, both within a legal context and in the media coverage of criminal cases.  

Other papers turned their attention to film and literature, analyzing narratives about crimes and criminals in works such as Richard Wagner’s The Ring of Niebelungs, Dacia Maraini’s Isolina and Victor Flemings Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde.

Luckily the sun was out on both days of the workshop. Between sessions the participants were able to continue their discussions outdoors while enjoying a sunny view over Bjørnafjorden with the glacier Folgefonnen in the distant background.

The workshop was held at Solstrand Hotel outside Bergen and was the first of several seminars and conferences organized by the project. Up next is a conference in the spring of 2018, which will be arranged in Bergen and will be open to anyone with an interest in the subject.