3:15-5:00 pm: Public Lecture by Professor Arthur Frank: “How to do Selves With Stories”

A northern Canadian master storyteller told an anthropologist: “I want to live my life right, just like a story.” We all live our lives like stories, but few of us have this woman’s self-consciousness about which stories are right as ways to live. This lecture looks at types of illness stories, asking how they both express and create imaginations of self in those who lives their lives as these stories imply life can, maybe should, and sometimes must be lived.

Arthur Frank is a Canadian professor emeritus of sociology who studies narrative in the context of illness experience and issues of compassionate care. His books include At the Will of the Body and The Wounded Storyteller. He has been visiting professor in multiple countries, most recently the University of Ghent. He is recipient of the Lifetime Achievement Award from the Canadian Bioethics Society and an elected fellow of the Royal Society of Canada. His next book, A Quieter Illness, will be published by University of Chicago Press in Fall 2027.

Location: ‘Store Juridisk’, Lecture theatre building 1343, room 275, Bartholins Allé 11, 8000 Aarhus C

Dinner (bring-your-own) and Welcome Reception

After the public lecture, we invite you to bring food and eat in groups, either inside or outside if the weather permits, before joining us for the reception at ‘Vandrehallen’ (Nordre Ringgade 4, 8000 Aarhus C), just a five-minute walk from ‘Store Juridisk’. Good nearby food options include the canteen at the Royal Library (Det Kongelige Biblioteks kantine), which is just around the corner, as well as various small restaurants and take‑away places on Nørre Allé. You will also find several restaurants on Tordenskjoldsgade in Trøjborg.

We’ll be serving drinks and light refreshments at the reception and look forward to welcoming you and saying hello to everyone ahead of the conference.