Thinking Outside the Box: Theorising Marginality through Creativity

Abstract

A common test for creativity is the so – called Nine Dot Problem, where one needs to connect nine dots with a limited number of lines. It is only possible to solve the puzzle by drawing the lines outside the implied “box” delineated by the dots themselves. In this presentation, I will reflect on how going to the margins of the literary field has been used as a strategy for creativity by writers. I will also raise the issue of whether such a strategy is still feasible at a time when literature appears to lose its autonomy or: its distinctness as a field.