The international conference “Women Writers and the Construction of National Identities in the Long 19th Century. Comparative Perspectives” was held at the University of Basel on 11 and 12 April 2025. Organized by Dr. Nikol Dziub, Dr. Anna Hodel, and Prof. Dr. F. Benjamin Schenk (Chair of Eastern European History, Department of History / Slavic Studies Seminar), the event was part of the SNF-funded research project Gender and Nation in the Biographical Interpretations of Lesya Ukrainka’s Life and Works (1898–2022). The conference received support from the Swiss National Science Foundation, Ukrainian Research in Switzerland (URIS), the Profilbereich Osteuropa, and the Albrecht’sche Reisefonds. 

The conference convened seventeen scholars from Canada, France, Germany, Switzerland, and Ukraine, specializing in women’s and gender history, national identity studies, comparative literature, and empire history. The primary objective was to examine the role of female writers in shaping, negotiating, and contesting national, supranational, and infranational identities during the long 19th century, and to interrogate the gendered asymmetries within dominant national narratives. The discussions also extended to the relevance of these historical debates in the 20th and 21st centuries, touching upon issues of cultural memory, feminist reinterpretations, and contemporary nation-building.

A highlight of the conference was the keynote address delivered by Professor Agatha Schwartz (University of Ottawa, Canada), a leading expert in the field. Her participation significantly enriched the academic discourse and provided valuable insights into the transnational dimensions of women's literary contributions to national identity formation. Her involvement not only enhanced the scholarly quality of the event but also fostered international academic exchange and collaboration. 

In addition to the keynote address by Professor Agatha Schwartz, one of the highlights that contributed to giving the conference global reach and visibility, and was particularly effective in terms of research promotion and public engagement strategy, was the round table discussion “Democracy and Women’s Voices”, with Slava Svitova, Co-Founder and CEO at Creative Women Publishing, and 2022 Nobel Peace Prize winner Oleksandra Matviichuk, Centre for Civil Liberties, Kyiv. The conference attracted a diverse audience, including researchers, students, and members of the public, both in-person and online, thanks to its hybrid format. The proceedings of the workshop are scheduled for publication in 2026 by a reputable academic press adhering to open science principles.