The inaugural Essays Beyond Borders (EBB) transnational meeting took place in Ghent, Belgium, from September 12th to 14th, 2024. Hosted by Ghent University, the event brought together project participants to explore the contemporary state of the essay, with a special emphasis on its role within a planetary context.

A highlight of the event was the roundtable discussion on the evening of September 13th, where Stefan Hertmans, Persis Bekkering, Jürgen Pieters, and Mario Aquilina examined the enduring relevance of the essay. The conversation touched on the process of essay writing and its relationship to other literary forms, such as the novel and poetry.

The meeting also featured forward-looking reflections on the future of the essay. Andrej Blatnik (Ljubljana) and Roberta Ferrari (Pisa) shared insights on the essay’s adaptation to the digital age and its capacity to address global issues like climate change, respectively. Paolo Bugliani discussed the representation of animals in essays, while Adrian Grima highlighted the growth of the genre in Maltese literature. Jürgen Pieters and Luna Dieleman examined the illness essay, and contributions from Thijs Lijster and Mario Aquilina sought to develop a theoretical framework for the planetary essay.