Volume 8 (2004) Challenging Nation

Catherine: What I most like about the idea of ‘challenging nation’ is what it has brought us over the past two years. Initially we wanted an idea that would act as an umbrella for people interested in Australia here at the University of British Columbia, a concept that would make sense of the diversity of their scholarship across disciplines. ‘Challenging nation’ worked for that purpose, and that group of people developed and supported the Challenging Nation Lectures in 2003–04.

Wes: It became apparent early in our discussions that the theme of ‘nation’ resonated across a variety of disciplines and that the loaded phrase ‘challenging nation’ evoked powerful but remarkably diverse responses amongst scholars and those involved in artistic work or praxis in many environments.

Catherine Dauvergne and W. Wesley Pue - Special Editors