The PG Department & Research Centre of English, Lady Doak College, successfully hosted an International Conference on Resilience and Reconciliation in Memory Studies. The event commenced with a prayer led by Dr. Jessie Ranjitha Jebaselvi C., Chaplain, Head in-Charge & Associate Professor of English, followed by a warm welcome by Dr. Beulah Jeyashree R., Principal & Secretary, and Head of the PG Department & Research Centre of English.
The inaugural address was delivered by Dr. D. E. Benet, Former Associate Professor of National College, Trichy, who emphasised memory as a sequence of interconnected events and discussed the significance of recollections and collective memory. A significant highlight of the event was the release of the book Resilience and Reconciliation in Memory Studies, with the first copy presented to Dr. Avishek Parui, Associate Professor at IIT Madras and Associate Fellow of the UK Higher Education Academy. The vote of thanks for the inaugural session was proposed by Ms. Nissi Karunya, Assistant Professor of English, Lady Doak College.
In the first session, Dr. Avishek Parui spoke on Memory, Materiality, and Affect: Studies in Remembering, Representation, and Resistance, exploring themes of forgetting and forgiveness, priming and enframing and focalisation. In the second session, held online, Dr. Nadia Butt, Professor of Global Anglophone Literature & Cultures at Goethe University, Frankfurt, Germany, delivered an insightful talk on Rewriting the Traumatic Past: Resilience & Reconciliation in Partition Novels, highlighting collective trauma and memory.
The afternoon session saw engaging paper presentations—both offline and online—by scholars and faculty from various institutions, contributing to a rich academic discourse on the conference theme.
On 28th February 2025, the event commenced with a prayer by Ms. Preetha Joseph, Associate Professor of English, setting a reflective tone for the day. Followed by, Ms. Vrushaa S., Assistant Professor of English, introduced the distinguished keynote speaker, Dr. D. E. Benet, who delivered an engaging address on Cultural Memory and Literature, exploring the deep intersections between culture, memory, and literary expressions. The session ended with insightful discussions and presentations.
The valedictory session commenced with a prayer by Dr. Baby Sumanna, Associate Professor of English, followed by an introduction of the valedictory speaker, by Ms. Sheba V., Coordinator of the Department of English (SF) and Assistant Professor. Dr. Premila Paul, Director, SCILET, The American College, Madurai, delivered the valedictory address, emphasising that memory serves as a repository of perspectives, collective remembrance and memory narratives.
Certificates for paper presenters and participants were distributed by Dr. Beulah Jeyashree, Principal and Secretary of Lady Doak College. The event concluded with a heartfelt vote of thanks by Ms. Hemalakshmi, Assistant Professor of English, expressing gratitude to all speakers, participants, and organisers for their role in making the conference a resounding success.
The event was meticulously organised by Dr. Vinita J., Ms. Nissi Karunya E. R., and Ms. Hemalakshmi K., Assistant Professors of English, under the leadership of Dr. Beulah Jeyashree R., Principal and Secretary and Dr. Jessie Ranjitha Jebaselvi C., Head in-Charge & Associate Professor of English, Lady Doak College. The conference was a resounding success, fostering meaningful discussions on resilience and reconciliation in memory studies.