WINNERS:
Angela Carter Society Awards
The winners of the 2022-23 Angela Carter Society Awards were announced at the Angela Carter Society Conference in Lisbon in June 2024.
Award for best chapter/journal article: Polly Paulusma, ‘”only a bird in a gilded cage”: folk songs, avianthropes and the canorographic voice in ‘The Erl-King’ and Nights at the Circus’ (from Angela Carter and Folk Music: ‘Invisible Music’, Prose, and the Art of Canonorgraphy)
This exceptional chapter masterfully explores Angela Carter’s integration of musicality into her literary works. It highlights Carter’s profound practice- and performance-based musical understanding, particularly her muscle memory of performing and revitalising traditional folk songs, which deeply influenced her creative output and imaginative world.
The author presents compelling evidence from newly discovered archives illustrating how Carter’s experiences with folk singing enriched her writing. The chapter demonstrates how Carter infused the rich and allusive imagery of folk poetry into her imaginative life, enhancing her ability to think in images and deepening her sensibility and perceptions. This connection is traced back to her early intentions as a writer, showcasing a thorough understanding of Carter’s developmental journey.
The rigour, originality, and depth of analysis in this chapter set it apart as a significant contribution to Carter scholarship. By uncovering the musical dimensions of Carter’s writing, the chapter offers fresh perspectives and enriches the understanding of her work. The author’s scholarly acumen and innovative approach make this chapter a deserving winner of the Best Chapter prize, highlighting its importance and impact in the field of literary studies.
Student essay prize: Jennifer Jasmine White, ‘The nature of flesh, which is to say, the world’: Reading Sex in the Angela Carter Papers’
This outstanding article expertly identifies and analyses the autofictional and autotheoretical impulses present in the writings of Angela Carter. It provides an insightful reading of Carter’s short story *Flesh and the Mirror,* first published in 1974, in conjunction with archival materials housed at the British Library. Through meticulous research, the article unveils new dimensions of Carter’s feminist materialist practice, showcasing her remarkable ability to draw upon her own erotic experiences as a foundation for both short fiction and philosophical inquiry.
The article compellingly argues that sexuality is integral to Carter’s work in ways far more intimate than previously assumed. It powerfully emphasizes the importance of the feeling body in archival research, urging scholars to consider the visceral and emotional aspects of literary analysis. The author’s adept handling of complex theoretical concepts, combined with a fresh and engaging perspective on Carter’s oeuvre, makes this essay a deserving recipient of the Student Essay Prize.
The rigor and originality demonstrated in this article set it apart, showcasing the student’s exceptional analytical skills and deep understanding of Carter’s work. It is a significant contribution to literary scholarship, offering new insights that will undoubtedly inspire further research and discussion.