Delegates from across the world will attend the event and take part in a walking tour of Suffolk landmarks that appear in Sebald’s books – including Somerleyton Hall and Lowestoft Pier.

Born in Germany, WG ‘Max’ Sebald taught at UEA from 1970 until his death in a car accident in 2001, aged 57. Works such as The Rings of Saturn, Austerlitz, The Emigrants and On the Natural History of Destruction were termed ‘prose-fiction’ by the author because of their deliberate blurring of fact and fiction. Since his untimely death he has become a cult figure and the word ‘Sebaldian’ has been coined for the genre he created - a unique mix of history, fiction, myth, landscape, travel and photography.

Staged at the UEA campus from September 5-7, the conference provides the first opportunity for the university’s groundbreaking School of Literature and Creative Writing to formally celebrate Sebald’s legacy. He joined the university when it was a very young institution, founded with a ‘do different’ vision and an aggressively interdisciplinary ethos. Sebald’s career exemplified this creative spirit and produced something unique in the history of twentieth century writing.

Twenty years ago he also founded the UEA-based British Centre for Literary Translation (BCLT), which still honours his vision by promoting new work in new languages.

“Not only was Max one of our most brilliantly original writers, he was also an inspiring teacher who instilled in generations of UEA students the value of reading across cultures and traditions,” said BCLT director Amanda Hopkinson.

“Max would have hated the idea of a memorial, but we are thrilled to celebrate his life and work with this conference which promises rich and creative responses to his work from writers across the globe.”

WG Sebald: An international and interdisciplinary conference takes place at UEA from September 5-7. Some places are still available. The cost of attending the whole conference is £180 (£80 for postgraduate students).