Our Congresses
11th Fenix Congress
The 11th Fenix Congress in 2024, titled Forging a Space of One’s Own: Networks of European Women Intellectuals in Latin American Exile (1939-1989), delves into the question of how women intellectuals from diverse European backgrounds establish a ‘space of their own’ during Latin American exile. This space serves as a platform for intellectual and artistic pursuits, enabling them to unleash their creative and intellectual potential. To explore this issue, we turn to Doreen Massey’s spatial theory, which underscores the importance of social relations, interactions, and networks (1993: 66, 2005: 9). It becomes evident in this context that their ‘space of their own’ is crafted through interrelations and networks. This inquiry into the construction and dynamics of women’s networks in exile seeks to give a renewed form to the “Room of One’s Own” advocated by Virginia Woolf. This special issue puts forth the hypothesis that the networks constructed by female intellectuals in exile can be regarded as ‘spaces of their own’. According to our hypothesis, such spaces empower these exiles to surpass their seclusion, to interact in an atmosphere of confidence and understanding, and to cultivate prospects for crafting artistic and intellectual work.