Between Us: Storytelling as Art, Politics and History
Sixth Tamil Studies Symposium
25–26 September 2026
Across Tamil geographies, storytelling has taken a myriad of shapes in spoken, dance, musical, visual and literary traditions: in folktales, proverbs and ritual forms; in the music of labour, joy and grief; in poems weaving human beings and ecologies; in reminiscences and reproduction of food practices; and in popular cinema and digital media.
Storytelling has been a way in which we transmit memory, situate temporality, frame kinship, shape political imagination, and preserve sensibilities of history, place, and belonging. Storytelling occurs within narrative frameworks that situate us, whether willingly, strategically or under compulsion, within and sometimes against structures that seek to define us. This year’s theme centres on storytelling as creative and/or archival practice and as a field of power in which knowledge is produced, sanctioned, silenced, contested, and transformed.
Our programming this year began with a series of writing workshops through which we had the chance to engage with authors, creatives, emerging scholars and practitioners who are thinking critically about the many ways Tamil histories, identities, and lived experiences are narrated, remembered, and interpreted. We are deeply thankful to all who took part, and especially to our workshop facilitators for their generous sharing of expertise, thoughtful mentorship, and sustained commitment to building this intellectual community.
We are excited to bring these conversations together at this year’s Symposium, alongside academics, artists, students, and community members. The Symposium will feature three days of programming, including our online launch on September 20th, as well as opportunities for in-person and virtual participation on September 25th and 26th.
Day 1: Sunday, 20 September 2026 | Online Kickoff | 9:00 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. ET
For the online event, please register here.
Day 2: Friday, 25 September 2026 | 9:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. ET | Room 519, Fifith Floor, Kaneff Tower, Keele Campus, York University
Day 3: Saturday, 26 September 2026 | 10 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. ET | Catalyst Centre (1265 Military Trail, Room EV152)
For the in-person events, register here.
The in-person events will be hybrid, and lunch will be provided for those attending in person.
For more information: tamilstudiesyork[at]gmail.com
The Tamil Studies Symposium is organized by the Tamil Studies Collective with support from:
- The York Centre for Asian Research
- The Department of Humanities, York University
- The Graduate Program in Humanities, York University
- Liberal Arts & Professional Studies, York University
- Just Eats, a SSHRC funded program at Queen’s University
- Tamil Academic Journal
- James Bennet
