The 7th International Theoretical Seminar “Theoretical Studies: Intermediality in Literature” concluded in April 2026, hosted by Samara State University for Humanities and Pedagogy (SSUHP).
Participants from universities in Samara, Smolensk, and Grodno (Belarus) explored how visual, musical, and narrative elements intersect in literary texts.
The seminar opened with a keynote lecture by Victoria Malkina (RSUH, Moscow) on intermedial methodology, setting the tone for a month of intensive academic exchange.
A series of masterclasses addressed topics such as ekphrasis, avant-garde visual practices, graphic novels, and book covers as paratextual interpretations—including a session led by Samara University’s student research society on analyzing graphic narratives.
For the first time, international scholars took part, with a lecture by Tatsiana Avtukhovich (Yanka Kupala Grodno State University) on book cover design as literary interpretation.
Four student teams presented final research projects on the visual in literature; the Samara University team also published a thematic zine on the intradiegetic image as a core category of visuality in fiction.
The jury praised the participants’ methodological rigor, creativity, and scholarly depth, emphasizing the seminar’s role in fostering inter-university collaboration, theoretical literacy, and student engagement with cutting-edge literary research.
