Some CFPs for conferences:
1. Concepts in Popular Genre Fiction, Deakin University (on line), 6-8 December 2021. Deadline: 31 August 2021
Popular genre fiction is an expansive field, covering a myriad of different kinds of texts and narratives. However, critical discussions of popular genre fiction often centre on value – is it good for us? is it bad for us? is it progressive? is it conservative?
By contrast, this virtual symposium, to be held 6-8 December through Deakin University as part of the Literature and its Readers research network, seeks to open up different sorts of questions, in order to consider other ways of examining, analysing, and utilising popular genre fiction. Specifically, we seek papers exploring concepts, ideas, and motifs, and the role that they play in popular genre/s.
2. Historical Fictions Research Network Conference 2022; Resource for London, Kings Cross, London and online; 19 and 20 February 2022. Deadline: 15 August 2021
Panel title: The Anachronistic Turn in Historical Fiction
The presence of anachronisms in historical fictions or on the screen have traditionally been seen as an embarrassing error; a sign that the author’s attention to detail had lapsed or that the requisite amount of research not conducted. At the same time, however, historical fiction, films and television rely on anachronism in order to make the past legible to contemporary audiences. We also consistently judge history anachronistically, assessing the past and prominent historical figures from our contemporary vantage-points. In recent years, however, deliberate anachronism has been embraced by both historical novelists and filmmakers. The use of contemporary music in period dramas, for instance, has become almost standard practice for contemporary historical television. The inclusion of deliberate anachronisms in historical fictions allows an explicit framing of the past in relationship to the present, and prompts a reconceptualization of the relationship of past to present. This panel will consider a range of anachronistic practices and contemplate how anachronism can shift our understanding of the form and function of historical fiction.
3. Tolkien and Fantasy sessions; ICMS, Western Michigan University, Kalamazoo (on line); 9-14 May 2022. Deadline: 15 September 2021
We are seeking abstracts for two sessions on J.R.R. Tolkien and Young Adult Fantasy:
Tolkien and the Medieval Animal
We welcome proposals for this paper session on “Tolkien and the Medieval Animal.” Interdisciplinary topics are welcome, and scholars might engage with a number of diverse fields, such as anthropology, art history, biology, communication, geography, history, literary studies, philosophy, psychology, sociology, etc. Panelists may also employ various theoretical perspectives.The Global Middle Ages in Young Adult Fantasy
Contemporary trends in Young Adult fantasy literature demonstrate a close relationship between young adult stories and a global medieval settings. Young Adult fantasies often use medieval settings to position arguments around identity, race, culture, class, gender, ethnicity, sexuality, violence, environmentalism, technology, folklore, and magic. We want to open a conversation about the turn toward a Global Middle Ages in Young Adult fantasy and its opportunities and challenges for new voices, groups, cultures, and readers.
4. LGBTQIA+ Fantastika Graphics: A Digital Symposium, on line, 20 November 2021. Deadline: 15 January 2022
Following the 2020-pandemic hiatus, we are pleased to re-launch our annual conferences this year as a digital symposium. LGBTQIA+ Fantastika Graphics focuses on the graphic novel medium in its widest possible remit (comic books, manga, and other such productions). We are interested in works that contain representations of the LGBTQIA+ community, relationships, and full spectrum of identities.
