Bertrand Westphal and the theory of geocriticism (introductory remarks on the topic)

The strong emphasis that is nowadays put on interdisciplinary approaches and - after the spatial turn in social sciences and the humanities - on space have also inspired literary research of space. From the perspective of contemporary literary studies, the theory of geocriticism developed by Bertrand Westphal is inspiring for its interdisciplinarity and geocentrism. In close connection with such fields as anthropology, geography, history, or cultural studies, B. Westphal defines geocriticism as a poetics of interactions between literature and human space. The French literary scholar also studies the relationships between the fictional and real worlds of literary works and their social and geographical contexts. These in his view help shape cultural identities. The article introduces in detail the theory of geocriticism and its main premises and principles in order to inspire future research, the object of which could be the formulation of a geocritical analysis.