Dear Students and Teachers,

We are delighted to invite you to the Literature Symposium 2025, hosted by the Department of English Language and Literature! This half-day event offers an exciting opportunity for students from Year 1 to Year 4 to engage with cutting-edge literary research, explore diverse perspectives, and connect with peers and faculty.
Symposium Theme
Reading the Room: Contemporary Fiction, Language and Voice
Contemporary fiction continues to explore the concept of voice—sometimes reinforcing traditional forms, other times challenging them. This year’s symposium highlights how language and voice shape two dynamic genres: romance and science fiction.
Event Details
Date: Saturday, 6 December 2025
Time: 8:45 AM – 12:15 PM
Venue: RLB 502
Registration Fee: FREE! (Includes tea break refreshments)
 
Symposium Program
Time
Activity
08:45 – 09:00 AM
Registration      
09:00 – 09:15 AM
Opening Remarks & Group Photo
09:15 – 10:15 AM
Research Presentations:
Dr. Michelle Chan – Coping with Adversities: Natural Disasters in Children’s Picture Books
Dr. Ffion Mary Rose Davies – Nightmares in Translation: Noir in Anglophone Asian Fiction
10:15 – 10:45 AM
E-Poster Presentations:
Erin Chen (Year 4) – Formulaic Languages in Contemporary Romantic Fiction: Fascination and the Consequences
Zoe Liang (Year 4) – Voiceless and Voicing: Racialization and Resistance in Kazuo Ishiguro’s Never Let Me Go     
10:45 – 11:00 AM
Break
11:00 – 12:00 PM  
Keynote Presentation:
Dr. Jeffrey Clapp – Small Language Models: Contemporary Literature and the Style Transfer Task    
12:00 – 12:15 PM
Closing & Reflections
 
Please refer to the attached posters for more details on the keynote presentation and registration QR code. Whether you’re curious about postgraduate research or considering a future in academia, this symposium is a great place to start.
We look forward to seeing you there!
 
Warm regards,
Department of English Language and Literature