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Dear colleagues,

The NACBS Program Committee has decided to extend the submission deadline for NACBS Atlanta meeting to June 1. The NACBS Executive and Council are closely monitoring COVID-related developments, and at the moment are planning for a live conference in Atlanta. Members are encouraged to develop their plans for program submissions as best as they are able and the Program Committee will follow a standard process of selection.

NORTH AMERICAN CONFERENCE ON

BRITISH STUDIES

The NACBS and its affiliate, the Southern Conference on British Studies (SCBS), seek participation by scholars in all areas of British Studies for the 2021 meeting. We hope to meet in Atlanta, Georgia, November 11-14, 2021. We solicit proposals for presentations on Britain, the British Empire-Commonwealth, and the British world, including Ireland, the Americas, Asia, Africa, and the Pacific (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, 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 and lightening rounds (8-10 presenters with one chair, a few minutes to each presenter) 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 range and/or interdisciplinary breadth, and that are tightly connected by a theme.  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.

To secure a broad range of participation, we will also consider individual paper proposals. Panels that include a diverse mix of presenters across fields and career stages are particularly welcome. 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://www.nacbs.org/conference will open in early February; submissions will close as of 1 April 2021.

All submissions must be 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. Please only request if AV is central to convey your presentation.  (Because AV is now enormously expensive, it will be provided in only some of the meeting rooms.)
3. A brief summary CV for each participant, indicating education, current affiliations, and major publications.   (Two-page 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 October 11, 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 2021 meeting is prepared.