Middle Bengali Retreat-cum-workshop 2025
5-15 August, Győr (জ্যোয়র), Hungary
The Middle Bengali Retreat aims to bring together scholars and advanced students of Bengali to read and discuss Middle Bengali texts. We will read a variety of texts in Middle Bengali and related literary idioms of eastern South Asia (Avahattha, Old Maithili, Brajabuli, Assamese, Oriya). We hope that participants benefit from the session leaders’ expertise and that the session leaders benefit from the participants’ feedback. Those involved are scholars of Bengal studies and graduate students; however, undergraduates with a firm commitment are also encouraged to apply.
The format will be similar to our past retreats and will include outings and reading texts outdoors. Each day, three ninety-minute reading sessions will be conducted. The readings will cover a variety of genres (narrative, lyric, didactic) and periods (from the Bengali Sultanate to late Mughal/early colonial times). We will start with a general introduction on grammar, prosody and literary genres. Advanced fluency in modern Bengali is expected. The list of session leaders and the detailed program will be out by mid-May 2025. Session leaders will include Rebecca Manring and Thibaut d’Hubert, and the complete list of texts and session leaders will be published by mid-May. Partners and children are welcome if they do not need a visa since the university will not be able to sponsor visas for them.
Program
Arrival: afternoon Monday, August 4th or morning, Tuesday, August, 5th
Reading sessions start: Tuesday afternoon, August 5th
Last session: morning, Friday, August 15th
Departure: afternoon, Friday, August 15th
Daily Schedule
09:00 – session 1
10:30 – tea/coffee/snacks
11:00 – session 2
13:00 – lunch
14:00 – session 3
The university is situated near a smaller branch of the Danube and a nature park called Püspökerdő. We aim to hold some sessions in the nature park and to make several outings to nearby places, such as Danube backwaters, Pannonhalma Abbey and Bakony Hills.
Logistics and Other Information
The registration costs €770, and also includes lunch, dinner and at the student halls of residence of Széchenyi István University, where two rooms have a shared bathroom. Further expenses include €400 for trips and informal meals. Breakfast needs to be arranged individually at nearby shops, bakeries or catering places.
It is also possible to book rooms with bathroom at the extra registration cost of €38/night or rooms at Hotel Famulus for an extra cost of €58/night which also includes buffet breakfast.
Note: a tourist tax of 450 HUF/person/night may also be applicable (for people over 18 in 2024)
Readings will be held at Széchenyi István University and Czuczor Gergely Benedictine School , which is about 15 minutes walk from the accommodation.
Transportation
Győr can be reached by train from Budapest, Vienna and beyond. The town is served by Vienna, Bratislava and Budapest airports. From these airports you can take airport taxi, such as Aerobus | Anyone, anywhere from anywhere!, or other companies. This is especially recommended if you can share a taxi. FlixBus: Cheap Coach Travel Across the UK & Europe also operates affordable buses to Győr from Vienna and Budapest. A good option from Budapest Airport is by airport shuttle + metro + train.
To apply, please, fill out and send the application form (click here to access the form) to middlebanglacamp@gmail.com
Updated deadline for applications: April 25th, 2025
Organizing Committee:
Imre Bangha (University of Oxford, )
Thibaut d’Hubert (University of Chicago)
Rebecca Manring (Indiana University, Bloomington)
The retreat is supported by:
भारत अध्ययन विभाग ॥ ELTE Department of Indian Studies, University of Budapest
Czuczor Gergely Benedictine School
University of Oxford
