Submitted Papers

History through Fiction: Using Autofiction to Explore Your Hungarian Heritage (Workshop)

Type of Abstract (select): Paper presentation

Abstract (max. 250 words):
Autofiction—a text in which the author identifies with but is not necessarily identical to the narrator and/or protagonist—deliberately blurs the line between autobiography and fiction and exploits ambiguity in service of the story. Autofiction can be a particularly effective genre for those who wish to share their personal and family histories but whose access to or knowledge of intergenerational stories has been lost or limited. Autofiction offers unique possibilities for exploring and (re)constructing personal identity and collective memory, providing techniques for framing and reframing personal and family stories and intergenerational narratives.
In this workshop, we’ll define the characteristics of autofiction, examine examples of autofiction texts, and use autofiction techniques to explore our individual and collective identities as Hungarian Americans. You’ll have the opportunity to read, write, and share during the workshop and leave with additional resources and exercises to continue experimenting on your own.


Brief Professional Bio (max. 100 words):
Elizabeth Lukács Chesla holds an MA in English and Comparative Literature from Columbia University and a certificate in Transformative Language Arts Foundations. Her debut work of fiction, You Cannot Forbid the Flower, won the 2023 American Writing Award for Best Novella and was a finalist for Best Fiction Debut and Best Historical Fiction. She serves independent authors, nonprofits, and educational publishers as a professional writer and editor, is an assistant fiction editor for Consequence Forum, and volunteers as a Transformative Language Arts Network committee chair and board member. She writes, edits, and teaches from the suburbs of Philadelphia.

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