The Viva / Defense of Mikhail Bakhtin

Performed at the Bedfordshire International Systemic Winter School 

February 2015

This performance is of an edited version of Comrade Bakhtin’s defence of his doctoral dissertation: "Rabelais in the History of Realism" at the Gorky Institute of World Literature in Moscow on 15 November 1946.

Professor John Shotter edited the rather long transcript of the viva for this performance in February 2015 at Brathay Hall , Ambleside. The cast was made up of John Shotter and doctoral candidates on the Professional Doctorate in Systemic Practice (see below). [The original translation was adapted and directed by Lars Kleberg and translated by Denis Zhernokleyev and Caryl Emerson for a round table reading at the 15th International Bakhtin Conference, Stockholm on 25 July 2014.]

 

The transcript edited by John Shotter can be found here 

 

Cast

SPEAKERS in order of appearance (and performed by):

The Chair of the Committee - Matthew Ganda

M. M. Bakhtin - John Shotter

A. A. Smirnov, professor, external examiner - Helen Bohme

A. K. Dzhivelegov, professor, external examiner - Ann Rubens Mortensen

M. P. Teriaeva, Candidate of Sciences - Leah Salter

N. K. Piksanov, member of Academic Council - Agneta Kjellström

N. L. Brodsky, member of the Academic Council - Patrick Goh

B. V. Zalessky - Robert van Hennik

Voices from the audience - Tania Pombeiro