Irish poetry and identity discussed at the Entangled Histories Seminar

At the second meeting of the Entangled Histories seminar series, Marjan Shokouhi Tajadini Sarvestani from the University of Granada evaluated Irish identity and the concept of borders from a literary perspective through the poetry of Patrick Kavanagh and Louis MacNeice.

The first session of the seminar series titled “Entangled Histories: Borders and Cultural Encounters from the Medieval to the Contemporary Era,” conducted in collaboration between Üsküdar University and Insubria University, was held online on November 26, 2025. With her presentation titled “Bordered Voices: Kavanagh, MacNeice, and the Poetics of Belonging in Ireland,” Dr. Marjan Shokouhi Tajadini Sarvestani from the University of Granada opened a multi-layered discussion on the concepts of identity, belonging, and borders through the works of two major poets of twentieth-century Irish literature.

Analyzing the poets’ representations of rural and urban spaces, Sarvestani shared with the audience the critiques directed at perceptions of “Irishness” in the writings of MacNeice and Kavanagh, as well as their alternative narratives of identity. The event emphasized the decisive role of visible and invisible borders within the triangle of individual, society, and national identity.

The Entangled Histories seminar series will continue with speakers from different disciplines until the summer months. Held with public participation, the series aims to provide a critical platform for cultural encounters and border experiences.

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