{"id":55429,"date":"2026-01-08T15:40:34","date_gmt":"2026-01-08T15:40:34","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.peterlang.com\/?post_type=article&p=55429"},"modified":"2026-01-13T11:43:47","modified_gmt":"2026-01-13T11:43:47","slug":"peak-reads-and-playlists-dr-irene-maria-f-blayer","status":"publish","type":"article","link":"https:\/\/www.peterlang.com\/de\/article\/peak-reads-and-playlists-dr-irene-maria-f-blayer\/","title":{"rendered":"Peak Reads and Playlists: Dr Irene Maria F. Blayer"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Inspired by BBC Radio’s “Desert Island Discs,” the Peter Lang Group presents \u2018Peak Reads & Playlists\u2019.

Join us on a journey to the mountain peaks near our Lausanne headquarters where we speak with our esteemed series editors.

In this interview format, our guests share the books, music, and food that would keep them company if they were whisked away alone to this beautiful mountain setting. They’ll explore the reasons behind their choices, revealing the influence each has had on their lives. Get a glimpse into the hearts and minds of the Peter Lang community.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Name: <\/strong>Dr. Irene Maria F. Blayer
Job Title: <\/strong>Full Professor
Series:<\/strong> Interdisciplinary Studies in Diasporas<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Books<\/strong><\/h4>\n\n\n\n

> Tell us, which fiction and\/or non-fiction books would be on your list? <\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

I will weave the question through three books that have quietly,\u00a0yet\u00a0decisively,\u00a0left\u00a0an indelible mark: the inner weather of a solitary self in Pessoa\u2019s\u00a0Book of Disquiet<\/em>; the drift and disorientation of an uprooted circle in Hemingway\u2019s\u00a0The Sun Also Rises<\/em>; and the urban chorus that hums through Cela\u2019s\u00a0The\u00a0Hive<\/em>.\u00a0Together,\u00a0they\u00a0<\/strong>open\u00a0conversations about belonging, language, everyday labour, and the inventive forms literature forges to hold a fractured modern society.\u00a0These readings\u00a0bind\u00a0inner life\u00a0to the\u00a0social fabric\u00a0and\u00a0treat form as an ethical choice, aligning with my ongoing preoccupation with home\u00a0and diasporic belonging.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Fernando Pessoa, Livro do Desassossego (The Book of Disquiet),<\/em> a masterclass in voice and self-division that sharpens attention to tone, aphorism, and the porous border between author and persona, asking what \u2018home\u2019 means when identity is multiple.  Ernest Hemingway, The Sun Also Rises<\/em>., a landmark portrait of the \u201cLost Generation,\u201d where communal drift, ritual and claims of authenticity collide with modern decadence, unrequited love, desire, exile and aimlessness; a counterpoint to Pessoa\u2019s inward gaze. Camilo Jos\u00e9 Cela, La colmena (The Hive)<\/em>, a mosaic of micro-scenes that builds a collective self-portrait; contingency\u2015who meets whom, where, and when\u2015 powers meaning, and fragmentation mirrors a society frayed yet interdependent.  <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Music<\/strong><\/h4>\n\n\n\n

> The mountain ranges have spectacular acoustics. Which 5 MUSICAL RECORDINGS would you take to enjoy whilst up on the summit and why? <\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

It is never easy to confine a lifetime of listening to a few tracks, but given the space and the opportunity, I would let Pressler\u2019s Chopin Nocturn<\/em>e and Pires\u2019s Clair de lune <\/em>hush the dawn, then open the day with Vivaldi\u2019s Four Seasons<\/em> and Grieg\u2019s Peer Gynt<\/em> in bright, wind-swept colour. As shadows lengthen, Miles Davis\u2019s Blue in Green<\/em> invites quiet reflection, before Aznavour\u2019s La boh\u00e8me <\/em>warms the twilight with memory and longing. Finally, Louis Armstrong\u2019s What a Wonderful World<\/em> sends us down the mountain with a simple, grateful blessing.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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