International Centennial Conference
on the Work of
W. R. Bion

The conference is being organized by the Centro Torinese di Psicoanalisi (Turin Psychoanalytical Center), a local section of the Societa Psicoanalitica Italiana (Italian Psychoanalytical Society), to celebrate the centennial of W. R. Bion's birth (8th September, 1897). It is not, however, intended to be merely celebratory, a commemoration, but we hope to make it into an occasion for a critical review of his work, taking into account some of his less well known writings, including the posthumously published ones, and showing something of the new perspectives opened up by his ideas, and their further development. We trust that the Conference will not only be on Bion, but in a Bionian spirit of adventure and freedom of thought too.

The Conference will be held in Turin, Italy, from Wednesday, July 16th to Friday, July 18th 1997.

Official languages will be English and Italian (simultaneous translation will be provided).

Scientific Program.

1. The Theory of Thinking
2. Bion's work with Groups and further developments
3. Psychosis and Working with Psychotic Patients
4. The Theory of Technique
5. Bion's Last Works

The Conference will be organized in such a way as to provide ample opportunity and flexibility for the presentation of individual papers and for the organization of special panels which do not fall easily into any of the above-mentioned sections. The structure of these sessions will vary depending on the requirements of the topic being presented.

Further shorter Panels and Satellite Conferences are being organized, such as the following (titles are provisional):

Shorter Panels:
- Metapsychology Today
- Psychoanalysis and the Philosophy of Science

Satellite Conferences, open to a more general public:
- What do you think Thinking is?
- Groups Today (in therapeutic and non-therapeutic environments)
- Drugs and Psychotherapy in the Treatment of Psychotic and Borderline Patients
- Psychoanalytical Technique Today

We are also planning a session on "Working with Bion" which we hope will be attended by those who would like to share their experience of Bion as teacher or analyst.

There will also be some workshops, for groups of about a dozen to twenty people, who wish to discuss special topics.

A space for posters will also be provided.

The Conference will start and end with plenary sessions, the last one comprising a round-table discussion on "Bion Today: Past and Future" (provisional title), with a debate from the floor.

Organizing committee.

Call for papers.

General Information

- phone: + 39 11 4156221 (Dr. Parthenope Bion Talamo - in English or in French and in Italian, preferably between 20.00 and 22.00 GMT+1)
- fax: + 39 11 503100 (Dr. Emanuele Bonasia)
- ordinary "snail" mail:

Looking forward to seeing you in Turin!

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