International Auto/Biographical Association (IABA)

The IABA is an International group of academics who are aiming to enhance and widen cross-cultural understandings of self, identity and experience. [http://www.iaba.org.cn/history.htm]

Introduction

The International Auto/Biographical Association (IABA) was formed in 1999 by Zhao Baisheng, the current Chair of the Institute of World Literature and Secretary General for the Cross-Cultural Studies at the University of Peking. It aims to broaden the world vision of auto/biographers, scholars and readers and to enhance and widen cross-cultural understandings of self, identity and experience.

The association holds a biennial conference at a different world University every time. To date the conference has been held in Beijing, Vancouver, Melbourne, Hong Kong, Mainz and Hawaii. The different topics being discussed at each conference changes, from topics such as Auto/Biography and Meditation at Mainz in 2006 to Life Writing and the Generations at [Melbourne] in 2002. Other topics have included Inhabiting Multiple Worlds: Auto/Biography in an Anti/Global Age (from Hong Kong, 2004) and Autobiography and Changing Identities (Vancouver, 2000).

Reports are published after each conference and the main themes and issues discussed are noted [http://www.iaba.org.cn/reports.htm]

The IABA also publishes a newsletter containing information on latest publications and programs. Also published is a listserv containing a variety of information such as postings on new conferences, call for publications and critical and theoretical issues.

Members

The IABA committee is a group of academics from across the world, and is responsible for the organisation and publication of material from the conferences.

The committee consists of Susanna Egan (University of British Columbia), Richard Freadman (Lingnan University, Hong Kong), Alfred Hornung (University of Mainz, Germany), Craig Howes (University of Hawaii at Manoa), Margaretta Jolly (Centre for Life History and Life Writing Research, University of Sussex, England), David Parker (Chinese University of Hong Kong), Thomas R Smith (Penn State Abington, USA) and Zhao Baisheng (Peking University). Affiliates

The IABA is affiliated with a number of organisations from around the world, including various University Departments coordinated by IABA members such as Margaretta Jolly’s Centre for Life History and Life Writing Research and Richard Freadman’s, Unit for Studies in Biography and Autobiography.

Publications

The IABA has been responsible for a number of published works such as Zhao Baisheng’s ‘Approaching the Auto/Biographical Turn’ and David Parkers ‘Inhabiting Multiple Worlds: Auto/Biography in an (Anti-) Global Age’.

See also

Centre for Life History and Life Writing Research

Biography
Autobiography
Life writing