Conventionally and conveniently, what is encompassed in the world of fiction belongs to the imagination and artistic subjectivity. However, the capacity of historical fiction to shed light on aspects left aside or marginalized in official and dominant discourses of international relations (IR) has begun to get recognition in the academia. Consistently, elements of real history appear as wrapped in fiction. Why does this narrative metamorphosis happen? Although it remains an imaginary space, it often brings to light features of societies and times, of the historical past, even risking questioning official discourses. Through applying a poststructuralist lens, enriched with elements of narrative theory, this research aims to answer the question: „how does fiction foster cultural diplomacy, by challenging dominant discourses in international relations?”. By employing qualitative methods, its structure follows two parts: (1) the first one, focusing on the analysis of the existing literature and (2) the second, consisting in textual analysis of two samples of fiction selected from the British-Turkish novelist and human rights activist, Elif Shafak. “The Island of Missing Trees” and “The Bastard of Istanbul” are both two novels which engage in deconstructing official discourses around historical past and cultural identity, by illustrating how meaning and language shape identities, truths, and power dynamics. The article concludes that narrative practices provided by historical fiction can deconstruct official and dominant discourse in international relations, by ultimately fostering cultural diplomacy, and encouraging intercultural understanding and empathy.

Authors:
Lavinia Roxana Ghent, Independent Scholar, Denmark

About the Presenter(s)
Lavinia Roxana Ghent is currently a legal professional, independent researcher and peace and development activist, who graduated a MSc in International Relations and Development from Aalborg University, Denmark. She also holds a MSc in International and Comparative Law from Perpignan University, France.

Connect on Linkedin
https://www.linkedin.com/in/lavinia-roxana-g-74b102246/

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