Refuge(e) into Fiction: The Case of Caryl Phillips’s A Distant Shore

Elisabeth Bekers

Abstract

Travellers and migrants have featured prominently in British fiction since the birth of the novel three centuries ago. At the turn of the millennium this literary interest has also extended to the asylum seeker. Having dealt with the immigrant experience in previous novels, Caryl Phillips in A Distant Shore (2003) turns his attention to the precarious situation of the (male) asylum seeker in Britain. This paper explores how Phillips's fascinating novel contributes to the ongoing public debate on the refugee issue as well as to postcolonial theorising.

Original language	English
Publication status	Published - 28 Jun 2008
Event	6th Conference of the Society for Multi-Ethnic Studies: Europe and the Americas (MESEA): “Migration Matters: Immigration, Homelands, and Border Crossings in Europe And The Americas” - University of Leiden, Leiden, Netherlands Duration: 25 Jun 2008 → 28 Jun 2008

Conference

Conference	6th Conference of the Society for Multi-Ethnic Studies: Europe and the Americas (MESEA): “Migration Matters: Immigration, Homelands, and Border Crossings in Europe And The Americas”
Country	Netherlands
City	Leiden
Period	25/06/08 → 28/06/08

Keywords

postcolonial theory
asylum seeker
Caryl Phillips
A Distant Shore

1 Finished

OZR1560: Refugee Aesthetics in African Diaspora Fiction
Bekers, E.
1/01/08 → 31/12/11
Project: Fundamental

1 Chapter
1 Conference paper

The Mirage of Europe in Phillips’s A Distant Shore and Unigwe’s On Black Sisters’ Street
Bekers, E., Nov 2016, Postcolonial Gateways and Walls: Under Construction. Tunca, D. & Wilson, J. (eds.). Brill, p. 253-277 (Cross/Cultures; vol. 195).
Research output: Chapter in Book/Report/Conference proceeding › Chapter › Research › peer-review
The Lives and Strange Surprising Adventures of Classic and Contemporary Travellers in Fiction in English
Bekers, E., 2009, Anglistentag 2008 Tübingen Proceedings. Eckstein, L. & Reinfandt, C. (eds.). Wissenschaftlicher Verlag Trier, p. 267-278 12 p.
Research output: Chapter in Book/Report/Conference proceeding › Conference paper

Cite this

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title = "Refuge(e) into Fiction: The Case of Caryl Phillips{\textquoteright}s A Distant Shore",

abstract = "Travellers and migrants have featured prominently in British fiction since the birth of the novel three centuries ago. At the turn of the millennium this literary interest has also extended to the asylum seeker. Having dealt with the immigrant experience in previous novels, Caryl Phillips in A Distant Shore (2003) turns his attention to the precarious situation of the (male) asylum seeker in Britain. This paper explores how Phillips's fascinating novel contributes to the ongoing public debate on the refugee issue as well as to postcolonial theorising.",

keywords = "postcolonial theory, asylum seeker, Caryl Phillips, A Distant Shore",

author = "Elisabeth Bekers",

year = "2008",

month = jun,

day = "28",

language = "English",

note = "6th Conference of the Society for Multi-Ethnic Studies: Europe and the Americas (MESEA): “Migration Matters: Immigration, Homelands, and Border Crossings in Europe And The Americas” ; Conference date: 25-06-2008 Through 28-06-2008",

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Refuge(e) into Fiction: The Case of Caryl Phillips’s A Distant Shore. / Bekers, Elisabeth.

2008. Abstract from 6th Conference of the Society for Multi-Ethnic Studies: Europe and the Americas (MESEA): “Migration Matters: Immigration, Homelands, and Border Crossings in Europe And The Americas” , Leiden, Netherlands.

Research output: Unpublished contribution to conference › Unpublished abstract

TY - CONF

T1 - Refuge(e) into Fiction: The Case of Caryl Phillips’s A Distant Shore

AU - Bekers, Elisabeth

PY - 2008/6/28

Y1 - 2008/6/28

N2 - Travellers and migrants have featured prominently in British fiction since the birth of the novel three centuries ago. At the turn of the millennium this literary interest has also extended to the asylum seeker. Having dealt with the immigrant experience in previous novels, Caryl Phillips in A Distant Shore (2003) turns his attention to the precarious situation of the (male) asylum seeker in Britain. This paper explores how Phillips's fascinating novel contributes to the ongoing public debate on the refugee issue as well as to postcolonial theorising.

AB - Travellers and migrants have featured prominently in British fiction since the birth of the novel three centuries ago. At the turn of the millennium this literary interest has also extended to the asylum seeker. Having dealt with the immigrant experience in previous novels, Caryl Phillips in A Distant Shore (2003) turns his attention to the precarious situation of the (male) asylum seeker in Britain. This paper explores how Phillips's fascinating novel contributes to the ongoing public debate on the refugee issue as well as to postcolonial theorising.

KW - postcolonial theory

KW - asylum seeker

KW - Caryl Phillips

KW - A Distant Shore

M3 - Unpublished abstract

T2 - 6th Conference of the Society for Multi-Ethnic Studies: Europe and the Americas (MESEA): “Migration Matters: Immigration, Homelands, and Border Crossings in Europe And The Americas”

Y2 - 25 June 2008 through 28 June 2008

ER -

Refuge(e) into Fiction: The Case of Caryl Phillips’s A Distant Shore

Abstract

Conference

Keywords

Fingerprint

Projects

OZR1560: Refugee Aesthetics in African Diaspora Fiction

Research output

The Mirage of Europe in Phillips’s A Distant Shore and Unigwe’s On Black Sisters’ Street

The Lives and Strange Surprising Adventures of Classic and Contemporary Travellers in Fiction in English

Cite this