Newcastle University

Introduction

After spending two years at Tokyo University on a Monbusho scholarship, I completed a PhD in Japanese literature at Università Ca’ Foscari Venezia in 2003. I have been a lecturer in Japanese language and literature at the same university for five years and has taught at Leuven University, Leiden University and UBC (Vancouver). My main interest is in Edo-period (1603-1867) literature.

Qualifications

Ph.D. (Japanese Literature), Università Ca' Foscari Venezia, 2003
MA (Japanese Studies), Università Ca' Foscari Venezia, 1998

Previous Positions

2006-2010: Adjuct Professor at Università degli Studi di Bergamo (Italy).

August 2008 - January 2009: Visiting Professor at University of British Columbia (Vancouver).

2005-2010: Lecturer in Japanese Studies at Università Ca' Foscari Venezia (Italy).

2003-2005: teacher on contract for Japanese language and Japanese studies at Università Ca' Foscari Venezia (Italy).

Memberships

Languages

Italian (native)
English (near-native)
French (fluent)
Japanese (near-native)
Classical Japanese (expert)
Excellent ability in reading calligraphic Japanese (hentaigana and kuzushiji) and good ability in reading kanbun kundoku 

Esteem Indicators

Secretary of the European Association of Japanese Resource Specialists (EAJRS).

Research Interests

My research mainly focuses on the literature of Edo-period Japan (1603-1867). In particular I am interested in the origins and the developments of Japanese popular literature in print. Exploring issues related to genre consciousness and narrative identity, my aim is to detect and to analyse the features of popular literature in the vernacular that developed in Japan at the beginning of the 17th century and to explore its further developments, for instance in the kusazōshi genre (in particular aobon and kibyōshi). The outline of my research project can be found in Monumenta Nipponica 65/2.

My critical discourse is deeply anchored to the study of primary sources. Therefore I have produced various critical editions of Japanese early-modern texts, accompanied by their textual analysis. Among others I worked on "Chikusai ryōji no hyōban" (竹斎療治之評判) 1684, "Hyō"  (ひやう)1662, "Fushinseki"  (ふしんせき)1665, "Bokusai banashi isha hyōban"  (木斎咄医者評判)1695 , the kibyōshi "Chikusai rō takara no yamabuki iro" (竹斎老宝山吹色) (1794), "Shiba Zenko ga chie no hodo"  (芝全交知恵之程)(1787),

As regards the theoretical perspective, I am focusing on the issue of narrativity within the prose literature of the 17th century. A first result of this research project is available in the special issue of Japan Forum n.21(3) that I edited with the title "Narrativity and fictionality in Edo-period prose literature" in 2009. My interests include also the study of intertextuality. In particular I have been working on the parodic rewritings of the classical text Ise monogatari in the Edo period and also on intertextual serializations sprouted from early Edo-period texts.

Other Expertise

My work implies a thorough knowledge of early-modern manuscript and printed texts. This aspect of my research relates to the field of the so-called 'textual scholarship' and implies the ability to describe and to catalogue early-modern Japanese printed texts. My training took place mainly at Tenri Central Library (Nara) and under the supervision of Prof. Hashiguchi Konosuke (Keisei University). This aspect of my work allowed me to be in charge of a collection of Edo-period books and prints (Marega Collection) at Universita' Pontificia Salesiana (Rome) from 2008 to 2011 and to engage in a new cataloguing project with The British Library.

Current Work

At the moment I am working on one article about Edo-period bookseller's catalogues for the new academic journal entitled East Asian Publishing and Society Journal (Brill).

I am also working on the publication of a book containing a facsimile, a critical edition, an English translation and an introductory essay of the kusazōshi entitled Junsai Chikusai Nidai homare isha (竹斎筍斎忰褒医) (1772). It will be published in 2013 by Incline Press.

This work and the other research that I am conducting will lead eventually lead to a monograph about early-modern Japanese popular prose in the vernacular. The working title is "Insatiable Minds: At the Origins of Early-modern Popular Prose Literature in Japan".

I am part of the three-year research project on shunga (art and literature that explicitly portray sex) led by Prof. Gerstle at SOAS (London). I gave a presentation entitled "Onna enshi kyōkun kagami and Onna genji kyōkun kagami: parody or counter-discourse on women's sexuality? (SOAS, 13 September 2010) and I will be a commentator in the workshop "Shunga - erotic art in a comparative context" (SOAS, 20-21 May 2011).

Conference papers (a selection) 

2010, Workshop “Shunga in its Social and Cultural Context” (SOAS, 13-14 September 2010). Paper: “Onna enshoku kyôkun kagami and Onna genji kyôkun kagami: parody or counter-discourse on women's sexuality?”.

2010, Association of Asian Studies (25-28 March 2010). Panel organizer (panel “Literary Genres and their Boundaries: A Study of Cross-Genre /  Trans-Genre Mechanisms and Genre Hybridity in Edo-Period Literature”; other participants Michael Watson and Lawrence Marceau). Paper: “Intertextual Resonances that Challenge Generic Boundaries:the Rewritings of Chikusai in the Seventeenth and Eighteenth century”.

2010, ASAA Conference (University of Adelaide, 5-8 July).  Paper:  "The order of books: a survey of Edo-period booksellers’ catalogues "

2009, Japanese Studies Association of Australia (13-16 July 2009).  Paper: “Shin (new) and zoku (sequel) versions in the popular prose of the Edo period: tricks of the publishing trade or valuable pointers?”

2008, EAJS Conference (Lecce, 18-20 September 2008). Panel organizer: (panel ”Scribal Culture in the Age of Print: Reconsidering the Edo Narrative”; other participants Peter Kornicki and Machi Senjuro). Paper: “Unstable Texts: Changes and Rewritings in the Passage Between Manuscripts and Printed books in the Early Edo Period”.

2008, EAJRS Conference (Lisbona, 16-19 September). Paper: “Critical editions of kanbun and wabun texts: an analysis of related problems on the basis of the experience of the Internet Kanbun Research Group”.

2007, International workshop “Narrative, Nonnarrative, Narrativity and Narrativehood in Japanese Prose of the Edo Period”, held at Università Pontificia Salesiana (Rome), 31 May -1 June 2007. Paper: “On the Edge of Narrative: a New View of the XVII Century Prose Preceding Saikaku”.

2006, EAJRS Conference (Venezia, 27-30 settembre 2006). Paper: “The “Marega Collection” at Università Pontificia Salesiana in Rome: an Insight into its New Physiognomy”.

2005, NIJL 29th International Conference on Japanese Literature (Tōkyō, 17-18 November 2005). Paper: 海外における日本近世文学の書誌学的および文献学的な研究の可能性 (“Kaigai ni okeru Nihon kinsei bungaku no shoshigakuteki oyobi bunkengakuteki na  kenkyū no kanōsei “) .

2005, EAJS Conference (Wien, 31 August- 3 September 2005). Paper: “Hybrid prose of the kinsei literature. Multiple contents, pluri-modal prose and poly-functional books”.

Organization of workshops and conferences

11 February 2011, International conference on Nara ehon and emaki (Newcastle University) 

07-10 September 2011, Annual Conference of the European Association of Japanese Resource Specialists (Newcastle University) .

Undergraduate Teaching

JPN4004 "Origins and Developments of Japanese Popular Culture"

JPN1005 "Japanese History and Culture"

JPN2002 "Modern and Contemporary Japanese Society"

JPN4001 "Japanese Language" (Advanced Level - reading)

I am offering also informal meetings where I teach how to read Japanese calligraphy in manuscripts and printed texts. Every Thursday, 2-3 p.m., Old Library Building, Room 4.30.

• Moretti L. Kanazōshi Revisited: The Beginnings of Japanese Popular Literature in Print. Monumenta Nipponica 2010, 65(2), 297-356.
• Moretti L, ed. Narrativity and fictionality in Edo-period prose literature [Special Issue of 'Japan Forum']. London:Routledge,2010.
• Moretti L. Blurred boundaries: narrativity and fictionality in Edo-period prose literature. Japan Forum 2009,21 3 299-305.
• Moretti L. On the edge of narrative: towards a new view of the 17th-century popular prose in print.. Japan Forum 2010,21 3 325-345.
• Moretti L. 近世文学と『伊勢物語』―『伊勢物語』のもじりと通俗的文学への浸透. In:Yamamoto Tokurō , ed. Ise monogatari kyōju no tenkai『伊勢物語　享受の展開』.Tokyo:Chikurin,2010, pp. 342-352.
• Moretti L. 近世初期・前期の散文文学における『伊勢物語』の書き直し、パロディーおよび新展開 (“Kinsei shoki – zenki no sanbun bungaku ni okeru Ise monogatari no kakinaoshi, parodi oyobi shin tenkai). In:Yamamoto Tokurō and Joshua Mostow, ed. 伊勢物語創造と変容 (Ise monogatari sōzō to hen’yō).Osaka:Izumi Shoin ,2009, pp. 269-301.
• Moretti L. 東洋文庫所蔵『ひやう』翻刻と解釈 (“Tōyō bunko shozō Hyō - honkoku to kaishaku”). Kinsei shoki bungei 2008,21 38-77.
• Moretti L. Appropriating Urban Space. Kyoto and Edo in Japanese prose of the 17th Century.. In:Marco Ceresa, ed. Città d’Oriente.Venezia:Cafoscarina,2008, pp. 53-87.
• Moretti L. 『ふしんせき』の翻刻と解説－近世初期の「ハイブリッド文学の一例」(“Fushinseki no honkoku to kaisetsu. Kinsei shoki no haiburiddo bungaku no ichirei”). Bungaku Kenkyu 2007,95 136-188.
• Moretti L. 海外における日本近世文学の書誌学的および文献学的な研究の可能性 (“Kaigai ni okeru Nihon kinsei bungaku no shoshigakuteki oyobi bunkengakuteki na kenkyū no kanōsei”. In: Proceedings of the 29th International Conference on Japanese Literature .2006,Tokyo:Kokubungaku kenkyū shiryōkan
• Moretti L. Il manoscritto nell’era della stampa: riflessioni su alcuni testi letterari di periodo Edo. In: Scritture e Codici nelle Culture dell’Asia: Giappone, Cina, Tibet, India. Prospettive di studio.2006,Venezia:Cafoscarina
• Moretti L. マリオ・マレガ文庫所蔵黒本・青本『〔ふぢともんどう〕』」（『藤戸問答』）について―複製・翻刻・イタリア語訳・解釈」(“Mario Marega bunko shozō kurohon – aohon Fujito mondō ni tsuite. Fukusei, honkoku Itariagoyaku, kaisetsu”). Kokusai koraborēshon ni yoru Nihon bungaku kenkyū shiryō jōhō no soshikika to hasshin 2005,1-35.
• Moretti L. 『木斎咄医者評判』論（下）―「竹斎もの」の一つとして (“Bokusai banashi isha hyōban ron (ge) – chikusaimono no hitotsu to shite”). Bungaku kenkyū 2004,92 29-38.
• Moretti L. 『芝全交智恵之程』― 翻刻・注釈・イタリア語訳 (“Shiba zenkō ga chie no hodo – honkoku, chūshaku, itariagoyaku”). Kokusai koraborēshon ni yoru Nihon bungaku kenkyū shiryō jōhō no soshikika to hasshin 2004,1-47.
• Moretti L. 『木斎咄医者評判』論（上）―「竹斎もの」の一つとして (“Bokusai banashi isha hyōban ron (jō) – chikusaimono no hitotsu to shite”). Bungaku kenkyū 2003,91 59-78.
• Moretti L. 『竹斎老宝山吹色』― 翻刻・注釈・イタリア語訳 (“Chikusai rō takara no yamabuki iro – honkoku, chūshaku, itariagoyaku”). Kokusai koraborēshon ni yoru Nihon bungaku kenkyū shiryō jōhō no soshikika to hasshin 2003,1-52.
• Moretti L, ed. Chikusai il ciarlatano. Venezia:Cafoscarina,2003.
• Moretti L. 京都大学付属図書館所蔵『木斎咄医者評判』翻刻と解題 (“Kyōto daigaku fuzoku toshokan shozō Bokusai banashi isha hyōban: honkoku to kaidai”). Bungaku kenkyū 2002,90 101-136.
• Moretti L. 『竹斎療治之評判』論 ― 評判の形態とその意味 (“Chikusai ryōji no hyōban ron – hyōban no keitai to sono imi”). Kinsei shoki bungei 2001,18 47-58.
• Moretti L. 『仁勢物語』― パロディと滑稽」 (“Nise monogatari - parodi to kokkei”). In:Howard Hibbet, ed. 『笑いと創造』(Warai to sōzō).Tokyo:Benseisha,2000, pp. 43-59.
• Moretti L. 『竹斎療治之評判』翻刻と解題 (“Chikusai ryōji no hyōban - honkoku to kaidai”). Kinsei shoki bungeki 2000,17 37-57.
• Moretti L. The Japanese early-modern publishing market unveiled: a survey of Edo-period booksellers’ catalogues. East Asian Publishing and Society 2012, [Forthcoming]. In Press.