Goran Bouaziz is a lecturer and PhD candidate at the Leiden University Centre for the Arts in Society.

More information about Goran Bouaziz

Fields of interest

• Dutch literature
• Theatrical text and performance
• Literary Modernism
• (Post)colonial literature

Research

My PhD dissertation, 'Strijdtoneel' [Battle Scene], will examine how Dutch-language theatre between 1900 and 1940 served as a battleground for social debate. From the socialist theatre of Herman Heijermans to feminist dramas, nationalist myth plays, and colonial satire, playwrights used the stage to confront urgent issues of their time — often facing censorship, scandal, or even riots in response.

Despite their impact, Dutch-language plays of this period have remained at the margins of literary scholarship, often dismissed as lacking the narrativity of prose fiction. My research challenges this view by combining recent narratological insights with historical and philosophical perspectives to show how playwrights employed theatricality, dramatic form and theatrical convention as tools for socio-political engagement. In doing so, I aim to investigate theatre's role in shaping some of the most pressing debates in prewar Dutch and colonial society.

Activities