Western Conference on British Studies

Call for Proposals (Deadline Extended)

2018 Annual Meeting

San Antonio, Texas

September 28-29, 2018

The next WCBS annual conference will be held in San Antonio, Texas, on September 28-29, 2018. The WCBS Program Committee, co-chaired by Susan Grayzel and Joseph Ward of Utah State University, seeks to design a meeting that is both interdisciplinary and wide-ranging in its temporal span. Scholars of Britain, the British Atlantic World, and the British Empire broadly defined are invited to participate. The committee welcomes proposals for both individual papers and full panels, and it encourages graduate student submissions.  

Proposals should include a 250-word abstract of each paper and a short curriculum vitae for each participant. Full panel proposals should also include a brief description of the panel's overall aim and indicate clearly the panel’s organizer and primary contact.

Please submit proposals to [email protected] by the end of the day on Friday, June 1, 2018. 

MID-ATLANTIC CONFERENCE ON BRITISH STUDIES ANNUAL MEETING
UNIVERSITY OF MARYLAND
SATURDAY and SUNDAY, APRIL 7-8, 2018

The MACBS -- the mid-Atlantic affiliate of the NACBS, the main organization for British Studies in Canada and the United States – is soliciting proposals for papers and panels on all areas of British Studies for our annual conference. We welcome participation from scholars of Britain, the British Atlantic World, and the British Empire broadly defined, and we are open to proposals ranging from the ancient to the contemporary and from scholars of history, anthropology, literature, art, politics, economics and related fields. Senior faculty, junior faculty, and graduate students are all encouraged to participate.

Proposals for both individual papers and full panels are welcome. Paper proposals should include a brief (no more than 250 words) abstract of the paper and a curriculum vita. Full panel proposals should also include a one-paragraph description of the panel’s overall aim and indicate which panel member will serve as the organizer and primary contact.

All submissions must be received by 3 January 2018. 

Send proposals via email to:

For additional information, please see the MACBS website:
http://www.lehman.edu/academics/arts-humanities/history/macbs/

The NACBS and its affiliate, the Northeast Conference on British Studies, seek participation by scholars in all areas of British Studies for the 2018 meeting. We will meet in Providence, Rhode Island, from October 25-28, 2018. We solicit proposals for presentations on Britain, the British Empire, and the British world, including topics relating to component parts of Britain and on British influence (or vice versa) in Ireland, the Commonwealth, and former colonies in Asia, Africa, and the Caribbean (etc.) Our interests range from the medieval to the modern. We welcome participation by scholars from across the humanities and social sciences, from all parts of the globe (not just North America), and from all career stages and backgrounds. We reaffirm our commitment to British Studies broadly conceived, and welcome proposals that reflect the diversity of scholars and scholarship in the field.

We invite panel proposals that address selected themes, methodology, and pedagogy, as well as roundtable discussions of topical and thematic interest, including conversations among authors of recent books, reflections on landmark scholarship, and discussions about professional practice.  We are particularly interested in submissions that have a broad chronological focus and/or interdisciplinary breadth.  Standard panels typically include three presenters speaking for 20 minutes each, a commentator, and a chair, while roundtables typically include four presenters speaking for 15 minutes each and a chair. We are open to other formats, though; please feel free to consult with the program committee chair.

We hope to secure as broad a range of participation as possible and will thus consider individual paper proposals in addition to the standard full panel proposals. Our preference is for panels that include both emerging and established scholars; we welcome the participation of junior scholars and Ph.D. candidates beyond the qualifying stage. To foster intellectual interchange, we ask applicants to compose panels that feature participation from multiple institutions. In an effort to allow a broader range of participants, no participant will be permitted to take part in more than one session in a substantial role. (That is, someone presenting or commenting on one panel cannot also present or comment on another, though individuals presenting or commenting on one panel may serve as chairs for other panels, if need be.) Submissions are welcome from participants in last year’s conference, though if the number of strong submissions exceeds the number of available spaces, selection decisions may take into account recent participation.

As complete panels are more likely to be accepted, we recommend that interested participants issue calls on H-Albion or social media (e.g., @TheNACBS on Twitter or on the NACBS Facebook page) to arrange a panel. If a full panel cannot be arranged by the deadline, however, please do submit the individual proposal and the program committee will try to build submissions into full panels as appropriate.

In addition to the panels, we will be sponsoring a poster session.  The posters will be exhibited throughout the conference, and there will be a scheduled time when presenters will be with their posters to allow for further discussion. 

The submission website at http://nacbs.org/conference will open in early January; submissions will close as of 30 March 30 2018.

All submissions are electronic, and need to be completed in one sitting.   Before you start your submission, you should have the following information:

1. Names, affiliations and email addresses for all panel participants.  PLEASE NOTE: We create the program from the submission, so be sure that names, institutional titles, and paper titles are provided as they should appear on the program.  
2. A note whether data projection is necessary, desired, or unnecessary.
3. A brief summary CV for each participant, indicating education, current affiliations, and major publications.   (750 words maximum per CV.)
4. Title and Abstract for each paper or presentation.   Roundtables do not need titles for each presentation, but if you have them, that is fine.  If there is no title, there should still be an abstract – i.e. “X will speak about this subject through the lens of this period/approach/region etc.”
5. POSTERS: Those proposing posters should enter organizer information and first presenter information only.

All communication will be through the panel organizer, who will be responsible for ensuring that members of the panel receive the information they need.

All program presenters must be current members of the NACBS by September 28, one month before the conference, or risk being removed from the program.

Some financial assistance will become available for graduate students (up to $500) and for a limited number of under/unemployed members within ten years of their terminal degree ($300). Details of these travel grants and how to apply will be posted to www.nacbs.org and emailed to members after the program for the 2018 meeting is prepared.

The final program for the Annual North American Conference on British Studies, to be held in Denver, CO from November 3 through 5, can be downloaded here: NACBS Annual Conference Final Program - 2017 . 

The Institute of Historical Research is very sorry to announce that it is has had to cancel the conference 'Reinterpreting British History' which was scheduled for June 29th and 30th at the IHR in London. The IHR apologises to any NACBS members who were intending to attend. We hope that an IHR/NACBS conference in London can be scheduled for another year.    -Lawrence Goldman, Director, Institute of Historical Research 

 Call for Papers, Annual Meeting, Endicott College, Beverly, MA, October 13-14, 2017

The Northeast Conference on British Studies (NECBS) will hold its annual meeting in 2017 at Endicott College in Beverly, MA on Friday and Saturday, October 13 and 14. The 2017 conference will be hosted by Endicott College, with Anna Suranyi acting as local arrangements coordinator.

We solicit the participation of scholars in all areas of British Studies, broadly defined. In particular, we welcome proposals for interdisciplinary panels that draw on the work of historians, literary critics, and scholars in other disciplines whose focus is on Britain and its empire, from the Middle Ages to the present. Proposals for entire panels on a common theme will be given priority, although individual paper proposals will also be considered if several of them can be assembled to create a viable panel. Proposals for roundtable discussions of a topical work, on current issues in the field, or pedagogical practices with respect to the teaching of particular aspects of British Studies are also encouraged. The typical ninety-minute panel will include three papers (each lasting for fifteen to twenty minutes), a chair, and a moderator (who should provide brief summarizing statements, ask a few questions, and speak for no more than five minutes). The chair/moderator role may be combined, if necessary. Roundtables may have a looser format.

Proposals should include a general description of the panel or roundtable (including an overall title), a 200-300 word abstract for each paper to be read and a one-page curriculum vitae for each participant. Please include the address, phone number, and e-mail address of all participants (including the chair and moderator) in the proposal. For panel or roundtable proposals, please note the name of the main contact person. Electronic submissions (as e-mail attachments in Word) are preferred, with all the various materials presented in a single document.

All submissions must be received by May 1, 2017 (final decisions will be announced in late June 2017).

Please send your proposals to:

Brendan Kane, NECBS Vice President and Program Chair

[email protected] 

A trove of images from the Washington meeting, taken by photographer Sancha McBurnie, is available for perusal on Flickr: https://www.flickr.com/gp/[email protected]/4B5j5F. Enjoy!

CFP: 2017 Southern Conference on British Studies Annual Meeting-Dallas, TX, November 10-11.

Deadline for submission: April 1, 2017

The Southern Conference on British Studies solicits proposals for its 2017 meeting in Dallas, Texas, November 10-11. The SCBS will meet in conjunction with the Southern Historical Association.

The SCBS construes British Studies widely and invites participation by scholars in all areas of British history and culture, including the Empire or Commonwealth and the British Isles. We welcome both individual and panel submissions on any topic in British Studies, but especially on the theme of Utopias: Sacred and Secular. We invite papers that address this theme from a wide variety of perspectives, exploring religious, intellectual, imperial, political, social, and other dream worlds, as well as dystopias and other challenges to sacred and secular and visions of perfection.

Individual proposals should be no more than 250 words in length and include a short biographical statement. Panel proposals should be limited to 750 words and include a rationale for the panel as well as a brief description of each paper and participant. Proposals should be sent to Dr. Michael de Nie at: [email protected]

The SCBS Charles Perry Graduate Student Prize ($250) will be awarded to the best paper presented at the conference by a graduate student. Entries must be received by October 27, 2017.

NORTH AMERICAN CONFERENCE ON BRITISH STUDIES ANNUAL MEETING Denver, Colorado NOVEMBER 3-5, 2017

The NACBS and its affiliate, the Western Conference on British Studies, seek participation by scholars in all areas of British Studies for the 2017 meeting. We will meet in Denver, Colorado, November 3-5, 2017. We solicit proposals for panels on Britain, the British Empire and the British world. Our interests range from the medieval to the modern. We welcome participation by scholars across the humanities and social sciences.

We invite panel proposals addressing selected themes, methodology, and pedagogy, as well as roundtable discussions of topical and thematic interest, including conversations among authors of recent books and reflections on landmark scholarship. We are particularly interested in submissions that have a broad chronological focus and/or interdisciplinary breadth. North American scholars, international scholars, and Ph.D. students are all encouraged to submit proposals for consideration. Panels typically include three presenters, a commentator, and a chair; roundtables customarily have four presentations, as well as a chair; proposals which only include papers will be less likely to succeed.  We are not able to accommodate individual paper proposals; those with paper ideas may search for additional panelists on lists such as H-Albion. Applicants may also write to the Program Chair for suggestions ([email protected]).

In addition to the panels, we will be sponsoring a poster session.  The posters will be exhibited throughout the conference, and there will be a scheduled time when presenters will be with their posters to allow for further discussion.  

All scholars working in the field of British Studies are encouraged to apply for the 2017 conference.  Panels that include both emerging and established scholars are encouraged; we welcome the participation of junior scholars and Ph.D. candidates beyond the qualifying stage. To foster intellectual interchange, we ask applicants to compose panels that feature participation from multiple institutions. In an effort to allow a broader range of participants, no participant will be permitted to take part in more than one session in a substantive role. (That is, someone presenting or commenting on one panel cannot also present or comment on another, but individuals presenting or commenting on one panel may serve as chairs for other panels if need be.) Submissions are welcome from participants in last year’s conference, though if the number of strong submissions exceeds the number of available spaces, selection decisions may take into account recent participation.

All submissions are electronic, and need to be done in one sitting.   Before you start your submission, you should have the following information:

1. Names, affiliations and email addresses for all panel participants.  PLEASE NOTE: We create the program from the submission, so please put the formal name of your university, not the local shorthand; names should be as they should appear on the program.  
2. A note whether data projection is necessary, desired, or unnecessary.
3. A brief summary CV for each participant, indicating education, current affiliations, and major publications.   (750 words maximum per CV.)
4. Title and Abstract for each paper or presentation.   Roundtables do not need titles for each presentation, but if you have them, that is fine.  If there is no title, there should still be an abstract – i.e. “X will speak about this subject through the lens of this period/approach/region etc.”
5. POSTERS: Those proposing posters should enter organizer information and first presenter information only.

All communication will be through the organizer, who will be responsible for ensuring that members of the panel receive the information they need.

The submission website at http://nacbs.org/conference will open in early January; submissions will close as of March 3, 2017. 

 If you have questions about the submission process or suggestions for program development, please contact:

Saturday, September 26, 2015, at Appalachian State University, Boone, NC.

A one-day conference for historians of Britain and Ireland, marking 10 years since the final issue of ALBION, the prestigious and influential journal of British Studies that was based in the History Department at Appalachian State University from 1973 to 2005.

The event will include an address by the former editor of the journal, Dr. Michael Moore, and an exhibition of ALBION archives in the Rhinehart Room, Special Collections, Belk Library.

For further details please email [email protected] (or call 828 262 8102, or write to Dr. Michael Turner, History Department, Anne Belk Hall, Appalachian State University, ASU Box 32072, Boone, NC 28608).

Conference fee $30.00 (checks made out to ASU please—send to Dr. Turner).

Refreshment breaks, lunch, and dinner to be provided courtesy of the College of Arts and Sciences, the Department of History, and Belk Library, Appalachian State University; and Mr. Bill Rhinehart.

[Dinner places are limited so please confirm attendance as soon as possible.]

The Northeast Conference on British Studies (NECBS) will hold its annual meeting in 2015 at the University of Ottawa in Ottawa, Ontario, on Friday and Saturday, October 16 and 17. The 2015 conference will be hosted by the University of Ottawa, with Richard Connors acting as local arrangements coordinator.

We solicit the participation of scholars in all areas of British Studies, broadly defined. In particular, we welcome proposals for interdisciplinary panels that draw on the work of historians, literary critics, and scholars in other disciplines whose focus is on Britain and its empire, from the Middle Ages to the present. Proposals for entire panels on a common theme will be given priority, although individual paper proposals will also be considered if several of them can be assembled to create a viable panel. Proposals for roundtable discussions of a topical work, on current issues in the field, or pedagogical practices with respect to the teaching of particular aspects of British Studies are also encouraged. The typical ninety-minute panel will include three papers (each lasting for fifteen to twenty minutes), a chair, and a commentator. Roundtables may have a looser format.

Proposals should include a general description of the panel or roundtable (including an overall title), a 200-300 word abstract for each paper to be read and a one-page curriculum vitae for each participant. Please include the address, phone number, and e-mail address of all participants (including the chair and commentator) in the proposal. For panel or roundtable proposals, please note the name of the main contact person. Electronic submissions (as e-mail attachments in Word) are preferred, with all the various materials presented in a single document.

All submissions must be received by March 15, 2015 (final decisions will be announced in June 2015).

Please send your proposals to:

Paul Deslandes, NECBS Program Chair
[email protected]

Conference Registration information for the North American Conference on British Studies meeting in 2014 is now available here.  You can also read or download the draft conference program here.