The talk will be held in German.

The novels of French Nobel Prize winner Claude Simon present a cyclical autobiographical narrative in so far as they constantly return to some decisive moments of the author's life related to the experience of war and prison camp. In this context, technologies play a crucial role, especially media of transportation and communication which give the protagonist an insight into his social position and his individual formation, but also embody different periods of his existence. Due to his constant use of such technical objects, echoed by the narratorʼs frequent use of technical metaphors for perception, memory and writing, the narrated life marked by violent breaks is described as a life with and in machines that are essential for the process of becoming a writer. This nexus between autobiography and technology in Simonʼs work will be explored in the light of current reflections on the cultural impact of technical practices (Latour) and technical objects (Simondon).

Respondent: Hanjo Berressem (Cologne)