Liselotte Van der Gucht is an FWO fellow and studies neurodiversity in German/Austrian 19th, 20th, and 21st-century literature by female authors. The female literary genius remains overshadowed by her male counterparts to a large extent. Studies on the link between creativity and mental conditions often attribute pathological labels to female authors because they defy social and artistic norms. Even though their male colleagues do so as well, such transgressions by women lead to hostility, marginalisation, or even institutionalisation. Liselotte's research aims to shift away from denominations of psychopathology and to offer a more neutral approach to the way in which extraordinary talent and nonconformism intersect instead, by adopting the frameworks of neurophenomenology and neurodiversity. The heuristic relevance of neurodiversity is illustrated by the example of several German/Austrian female authors, whose talent is now undisputed, but whose reception has also been accompanied by scandal: Annette von Droste-Hülshoff, Else Lasker-Schüler, Marlen Haushofer, Ingeborg Bachmann, and Elfriede Jelinek. In her research the questions are raised how neurodiversity is experienced and expressed in literary texts. Prospective results will serve a more universal knowledge of female neurodiversity and will help reshape the way that neurodiversity is thought of today.
