another conference presentation

Last night I had the opportunity to deliver my second presentation at an academic conference, this one at Oxford University. This time around I was much less nervous, and prepared a PPT.

I presented on Storytelling as Remembrance: Writing Fiction to Preserve Historical Memory at the transdisciplinary conference The Art of Storytelling: Archetypes in Focus at Oxford University.

My abstract was:
"Storytelling is often considered an act of imagination, yet the foundation of compelling narratives frequently lies in rigorous research. In my novel that is a work of historical fiction set against the backdrop of Srebrenica during the Bosnian War, research played a pivotal role in shaping both the narrative and its emotional authenticity.

The town of Srebrenica in Bosnia and Herzegovina made history on 11 July 1995, when 8,372 men and boys were slain and buried in mass graves, making it the biggest massacre on European soil since World War II. The Srebrenica massacre that led to the unanimous ruling the massacre of the enclave's male inhabitants constituted genocide, a crime under international law, in 2004 in the case of Prosecutor v. Krstić in the Appeals Chamber of the ICTY (Prosecutor v. Krstić, Case No. IT-98-33-A, 2004). As a result, this event is historically significant as it is first genocide conviction in Europe since the Holocaust. It is a globally significant event as it represents the catastrophic failure of the international community to prevent genocide, despite numerous warnings.

This presentation explores how deep engagement with historical records, survivor testimonies, and journalistic sources informed my creative choices. I will discuss the challenges of translating research into narrative without overwhelming the story, as well as the ethical responsibility of representing historical trauma through fiction.

Using my novel as a case study, I will outline my research methodology, including archival research, scholarly sources, and primary accounts, and how these informed the construction of my protagonist’s journey. I will also address the tension between fact and fiction—when to adhere to historical accuracy and when to allow creative license."

I am hoping that this presentation will be the basis of a longer talk that I can deliver to libraries.