Between February and March 2026, JEUX PhD researcher Michela La Grotteria was a visiting doctoral student at Sorbonne University under the supervision of Professor Delphine Denis. During her stay, La Grotteria had the opportunity to consult major Parisian libraries and archives, which investigate the representations and functions of curiosity in emerging short literary genres at the end of the 17th century – a research field that inherently engages with ludic practices, gendered dynamics, and the nexus between fictionality and morality in the early modern period.
This included, on the one hand, primary sources such as first editions of the literary works in her corpus, manuscript correspondence, and material artefacts of salon games – actual game objects from the period, used in literary salons and closely connected to fairy-tale trend. On the other hand, La Grotteria had access to valuable secondary literature on the authors featured in her thesis, and more broadly on the late seventeenth century and the culture of curiosity.
This material has enabled her to draft her second chapter, devoted to end-of-century fairy tales and female curiosity, and to further refine, consolidate, and articulate her overall project with greater clarity.
She also participated in Professor Denis’ weekly seminar, De la mode, on 17th-century literature and culture, which closely aligned with her research. There, she was able to connect with scholars and fellow doctoral researchers working in related fields, present aspects of her project, and receive valuable feedback.
During the stay, La Grotteria, Professor Denis, and Professor Kukkonen – PI of JEUX and La Grotteria’s supervisor – were also able to meet, leading to a productive exchange of ideas and possible plans for future collaboration. Funded by CNUP, this research stay not only advanced La Grotteria’s thesis but also contributed to disseminating JEUX’s ongoing work at an internationally renowned institution.