Japanese writing combines hiragana, katakana and kanji.
Why script matters
That combination becomes the starting point for a lecture about wordplay, script and textual experimentation across centuries of literature.
From early modern writing to the present
Professor Laura Moretti and Dr Vicky Young introduce works from the early modern period to today, asking how playful textual strategies create meaning and shape readers’ engagement.
Moretti specialises in early modern Japanese popular literature and culture, working across literature, art history, book history and visual media. Young’s research includes modern Japanese and Okinawan literature, literary history and translation.
Attend in Cambridge or online
The event runs from 18:00 to 19:30, with in-person doors at 17:45. The Cambridge session is in rooms 8 and 9 of the Faculty of Asian and Middle Eastern Studies on Sidgwick Avenue. An online Zoom option is also available.
Attendance is free, but registration is essential for either format. Parking, event-specific step-free access, quiet-space and companion arrangements are not published on the event page, so confirm with the organiser or venue if needed.
Use the official Japan Foundation event page to choose the in-person or Zoom registration route.
Cover image
Original AI-generated thematic illustration. It does not depict the speakers, any published work, the actual lecture, organiser or venue.