New Forms of Self-Narration

This book is a timely study of young women's life writing as a form of human rights activism. It focuses on six young women who suffered human rights violations when they were girls and have gone on to become activists through life writing: Malala Yousafzai, Hyeonseo Lee, Yeonmi Park, Bana Alabed, Nujeen Mustafa, and Nadia Murad. Their ongoing life-writing projects diverge to some extent, but all share several notable features: they claim a testimonial collective voice, they deploy rights discourse, they excite humanitarian emotions, they link up their context-bound plight with bigger social justice causes, and they use English as their vehicle of self-expression and self-construction. This strategic use of English is of vital importance, as it has brought them together as icons in the public sphere within the last six years. New Forms of Self-Narration is the first ever attempt to explore all these activists' life-writing texts side by side, encompassing both the written andthe audiovisual material, online and offline, and taking all texts as belonging to a unique, single, though multifaceted, project.

Develops the idea of life writing as a form of self-construction, whereby victims may reframe their story as that of an empowered survivor Examines strategic narrative devices typical of testimonial accounts both online and offline Unpacks the global phenomenon of young women's testimonial projects

Auteur

Ana Belén Martínez García researches human rights life writing by young women activists at the University of Navarra, Spain. She is a member of the International Auto/Biography Association, the IABA-SNS (Students and New Scholars) Network, AEDEAN (Spanish Association of Anglo-American Studies), and ISSN (International Society for the Study of Narrative).

Texte du rabat

This book is a timely study of young women s life writing as a form of human rights activism. It focuses on six young women who suffered human rights violations when they were girls and have gone on to become activists through life writing: Malala Yousafzai, Hyeonseo Lee, Yeonmi Park, Bana Alabed, Nujeen Mustafa, and Nadia Murad. Their ongoing life-writing projects diverge to some extent, but all share several notable features: they claim a testimonial collective voice, they deploy rights discourse, they excite humanitarian emotions, they link up their context-bound plight with bigger social justice causes, and they use English as their vehicle of self-expression and self-construction. This strategic use of English is of vital importance, as it has brought them together as icons in the public sphere within the last six years. New Forms of Self-Narration is the first ever attempt to explore all these activists life-writing texts side by side, encompassing both the written andthe audiovisual material, online and offline, and taking all texts as belonging to a unique, single, though multifaceted, project.

Résumé

"This dense and useful book highlights and reflects upon the narrative strategies employed in such storytelling to gain both audiences and empathy. ... by offering this timely overview of life writing by young women activists from the Global South, Martinez Garcia has pried open a door that has long needed opening." (Meg Jensen, Biography, Vol. 46 (2), 2023)

Contenu

1. Introduction: Life Writing, Human Rights and Young Women.- 2. Malala Yousafzai: Fighting for Girls' Rights via Collaboration and Co-construction.- 3. Hyeonseo Lee: Seeking Justice for the North Korean People on TED.com.- 4. Yeonmi Park: North Korean Activist and Instagram Celebrity.- 5. Bana Alabed: From Twitter War Child to Peace Icon.- 6. Nujeen Mustafa: Syrian Refugee Defying Labels on TEDx.- 7. Nadia Murad: Yazidi Survivor's Written vs Audiovisual Testimony.- 8. Conclusion: Victim Girls Becoming Activist Women. <p