Team Members – CONSORTIUM FOR HEALTH HUMANITIES, ARTS, READING AND MEDICINE

Louise Benson James

Faculty of Arts and Philosophy – Research Portal
Louise Benson James

Isabelle Devos

Faculty of Arts and Philosophy – Research Portal

"Isabelle

Dimitra Didangelou

From Catharsis to Metousiosis: Transforming the Narrative of Loss into Literature

The research explores the transformative potential of autobiographical writing in the context of mourning, focusing on texts written after the loss of a loved one. Central to the study is the concept of metousiosis, a Greek term referring to a change in inner essence. While catharsis, often associated with emotional release, can be an outcome of writing, metousiosis points to a deeper, more lasting transformation.

Through writing and narrative, pain is not only expressed but reshaped into something meaningful. Writing, in this context, becomes a vessel for reordering chaos into structure, a story with a beginning, middle and end that reframes and gives form to the trauma of loss.

The study will analyze selected literary works by authors such as Joan Didion and Roland Barthes, whose texts offer rich insights into how grief can be processed and transformed on the page.

The second part of the research involves interviews with contemporary authors who have written during or after bereavement. The aim is to understand how writing helped them metabolize their grief and to explore mechanisms behind this process.