Woolfian Soundscapes: Noises, Voices, and Music in Virginia Woolf’s Novels

Title: Woolfian Soundscapes: Noises, Voices, and Music in Virginia Woolf’s Novels
Speaker: Assoc. Prof. F. Zeynep BİLGE
Date: 24.05.2024

While focusing on the inner worlds -or, rather, inner voices- of her characters, Woolf displays a vivid portrayal of these characters’ physical environment as well. Sounds of the city, sounds of nature, newly developing auditory technologies, human voice, silence between individuals, and music play a significant role in Woolf’s oeuvre. In one of her letters to violinist Elizabeth Trevelyan, Woolf writes, “I always think of my books as music before I write them,” suggesting a different aspect in Woolf and sound studies for it invites the scholars to investigate structural similarities between Woolf’s writings and certain musical forms. This talk aims at addressing various dimensions of the relationship between soundscapes and texts as well as the role of sounds in Woolf’s novels.