Locating Fantastika: An Interdisciplinary Conference
Following the success of Visualising Fantastika in 2014, we invite all academics with an interest in the field to participate in this interdisciplinary conference.
‘Fantastika’, coined by John Clute, is an umbrella term which incorporates the genres of fantasy, science fiction, and horror, but can also include alternative histories, steampunk, young adult fiction, or any other imaginative space. The theme for 2015, ‘Locating Fantastika’, explores all areas of space, setting, and locations, either in the fictional world of fantastika or in fantastical networks with the real world.
We are pleased to announce Dr. Philippa Semper and Dr. Ruth Heholt as our keynote speakers. Dr. Semper (University of Birmingham) lectures in medieval English, with a special interest on the interaction between text and image in manuscript studies; she also teaches and publishes on fantasy literature. Her keynote will be examining the relation between the medieval world and modern fantasy. Dr. Heholt (Falmouth University) is a senior lecturer focusing on the supernatural. Her recent work has focused on the concepts of regions and the Gothic and haunted landscapes. She is editor of a new e‑journal, Revenant: Critical and Creative Studies of the Supernatural: www.revenantjournal.com.
We welcome abstracts for 20 minute papers on fantastical locations as they occur in any medium and form. Some suggested topics are:
— buildings, houses, or other location-specific constructs
— landscapes or geography
— world-building or setting
— regional, national, or cultural spaces
— urban vs rural communities
— maps or mapping
— eco or ecology-readings
Please submit a 300 word abstract to fantastikaconference@gmail.com along with a 50 word bionote by April 1st, 2015
Visit us at http://fantastikaconference.wordpress.com/ or like us on Facebook (‘Fantastika Conference’) for more up-to-date information about the event.
The ‘Visualizing Fantastika’ edition of The Luminary, featuring extended papers from last year’s conference, is due out in 2015.
