Wednesday 6 November 2013

Agatha Christie: Crime, Culture, Celebrity

Monday 14 April 2014   University of Exeter
 
Author of over eighty mystery novels, Agatha Christie was the best-selling writer of the twentieth century. Her detectives Hercule Poirot and Miss Marple are iconic and her play The Mousetrap is the longest-running in history. This one-day conference is the first in Britain to engage with Christie’s life, work, and popularity. An interdisciplinary event, Agatha Christie: Crime, Celebrity, Culture seeks to unite researchers across the humanities with an interest in this writer’s work, life, and her afterlife in TV, film, and, popular culture.
 
In addition to research presentations, the day will feature an exhibition of material from the archives in Exeter’s Special Collections and from the Bill Douglas Cinema Museum revealing the fascinating story of Agatha Christie’s relationships with publishers, fans, and film-makers.
 
The conference organizers invite proposals for twenty-minute papers. Possible themes include, but are by no means limited to: film, television, theatre, or radio adaptations; ‘Middlebrow’ perspectives on Christie; Portrayals of Agatha Christie in films, TV, and fiction; Christie in the twenty-first century; Christie and feminism; Gendered, sexed, and queer readings; Genre and identity; Translation.
 
Please email an abstract of 250 words with a short biographical note
to agathachristie@exeter.ac.uk   no later than Friday 29 November 2013. Please direct any queries to the same address.

Birmingham Journal of Literature and Language - Call for Notes

The Birmingham Journal of Literature and Language (BJLL) is seeking short pieces (‘notes’) for inclusion in Volume V. These can be on any topic of academic interest, including (but not limited to): recent and forthcoming conferences; public engagement and knowledge transfer activities; museum exhibitions; library collections; skills training; and short pieces of original research. Original poems and artwork are also welcomed. Please see the attached 'Call for Notes' for details of submission. Deadline for submission is 22 November 2013. Any queries to the editors via mail webbjll@googlemail.com
 
This is a great opportunity for either PGT or PGR students to get valuable experience of writing for a short piece for a journal, and having work published. We look forward to hearing from you soon!

New Work in Modernist Studies - 7 December 2013

Saturday 7th December 2013                 The University of Edinburgh

Proposals are invited from on-course PhD students at British universities for short (ten-minute) research papers. The one day conference aims to engage participants in the three established modernist seminars, and the new Welsh Network of Modernist Studies, as well as students who are new to modernist studies in dialogues that will develop and expand our scholarly knowledge. We hope to put together an interdisciplinary programme that will reflect the full diversity of work in modernist studies. Travel bursaries will be available, by competitive application.

The cost of the conference will be £10 (or £5 for BAMS members) and include lunch, tea and coffee, and a Christmas drinks reception. If you are not already a member of BAMS, you can join online at http://bams.ac.uk/membership/   Benefits include a free subscription to Modernist Cultures, free or reduced fee entry to all BAMS events, access to a members-only area of the BAMS website, and subscription to the dedicated BAMS email list.

Please send proposals (300 words), with a short biography (50 words including details of your year of study) by email to: newmodstud2013@gmail.com  by 18 November 2013. We will inform you whether your abstract has been accepted by November 22nd

Thursday 24 October 2013

Psychoanalysis Across the Disciplines at Warwick University

Psychoanalysis Across the Disciplines is an Institute of Advanced Study research network designed to bring together researchers and practitioners at Warwick and elsewhere whose work draws on any aspect of psychoanalysis.
 
We are keen to establish possibilities for internal and external collaborations across different disciplines and to contribute to current debates on the place of psychoanalysis in the academic, cultural, and clinical fields. We welcome communication from those who would like to contribute to and draw from the network.
 
This term our activities are organised under the broad themes of Psychosis, Trauma, and the Body. Please email us if you would like to be included in our network list and receive notification of our events psychoanalysis@warwick.ac.uk
 
See website for more details: www.warwick.ac.uk/psychoanalysis

The Sceptre Press Talk at Cadbury Research Library

The Sceptre Press, founded in the 1960s by poet and writer Martin Booth, published previously unpublished works by poets including Ted Hughes, Seamus Heaney and Sylvia Plath.  In this talk Martin Killeen, Rare Books Librarian at the Cadbury Research Library, will shed light on the interesting work of this little known press, followed by the opportunity to view and handle the elegant slim volumes produced by the press as well as typescripts and letters from Martin Booth’s archive.

Thursday 26 September 2013

Ninth Annual British Society for Literature and Science Conference 2014

10-12 April 2014 University of Surrey, Guildford The BSLS invites 250 word proposals for 20 minute papers, or panels of three papers, on any subjects within the field of literature and science. This year the organisers would particularly welcome proposals addressing links between science and European and world literatures, and proposals for papers or panels on teaching literature and science. Proposals of no more than 250 words, together with the name and institutional affiliation of the speaker, should be sent in the body of messages (not in attachments) to g.tate@surrey.ac.uk Proposals for panels should include a separate proposal for each paper. The closing date for submissions is Friday 6 December 2013. The conference fee will be waived for two graduate students in exchange for written reports on the conference, to be published in the BSLS Newsletter- if interested mention this when sending in your proposal (you will need to be registered for a postgraduate degree at the time of the conference). Those attending the conference will need to make their own arrangements for accommodation (information on hotels will shortly be made available on the website). Membership: conference delegates will need to register as members of the BSLS (annual membership: £25 waged / £10 unwaged). It will be possible to join the BSLS when registering for the conference online. For further information and updates about the conference, please contact Gregory Tate (g.tate@surrey.ac.uk) or visit the conference website at http://tinyurl.com/pp6ubz5

Amiri Baraka at 80 Conference

Saturday 12 April 2014 University of Kent See attached notice for full CFP 2014 marks the 80th birthday of Amiri Baraka, of one of the most influential, controversial and galvanising cultural figures of the twentieth century. As poet, novelist, playwright, music critic, editor, and cultural organiser, Baraka has extended the possibilities of modern writing. This conference will seek to analyse how. From his early work as LeRoi Jones through to his agitational verse since the 1970s, Baraka has interrogated the relationship between art and political action, speech and act, writer and society, tradition and power, race and class, poet and nation, in the process re-imagining and enacting a radical politics that has forever marked the US social landscape. This conference seeks to assess the scope of nearly 65 years of work, considering the importance, paradoxes and potentialities of Baraka’s career across a range of disciplines. 200-word abstracts, along with your full name, academic affiliation (if applicable), and brief bio, should be sent to Ben Hickman at b.hickman@kent.ac.uk by 30th September 2013. Kent Amiri Baraka Conference: https://blogs.kent.ac.uk/baraka/

PhD Talk - Friday 04 October 2013

2.00 p.m. – 3 p.m. – venue to be confirmed “What I learned about doing a PhD from reading trashy novels” A Talk by Dr Inger Mewburn For further information and how to book a place: http://www.birmingham.ac.uk/welcome/events/pgr/phdtrashynovels.aspx For queries about the event, please contact graduateschool@contacts.bham.ac.uk

Vitae Leadership in Action 19-22 November 2013

Hydro Hotel, Windermere for research staff and postgraduate researchers This programme provides researchers the opportunity to: - explore team leadership in theory and in practice - influence people towards a common goal/purpose - understand personal strengths and weaknesses as a leader - recognise achievements to create success within your research team - explore personal values and how these affect decisions - work with a team of experienced leaders from a range of career backgrounds - receive feedback on personal leadership styles and identify how these can be further developed. To find out more and to book your place, please visit the Leadership in Action webpage: www.vitae.ac.uk/lia2013 Cost and eligibility This event is for research staff and doctoral researchers. The fee is £730+VAT and it covers expert coaching and facilitation, materials, accommodation and all meals. Travel to the venue is not included.

Thesis Masterclass

Friday 04 October 2013 9.30 a.m. – 12 noon, G51 European Research Institute (ERI) Research Masterclass with The Thesis Whisperer: ‘Your thesis, so what?’ A Workshop with Dr Inger Mewburn, Australian National University. The College of Arts and Law Graduate School invites its students to a workshop with Dr Inger Mewburn, also known as The Thesis Whisperer, on the most important topic of all: how to speak concisely, persuasively and inspirationally about your research and why it matters. For further information: http://www.birmingham.ac.uk/welcome/colleges/cal/calgs-thesis-whisperer.aspx. Places are limited and booking is essential. To book your place, please email calpg-research@contacts.bham.ac.uk

BJLL Review Panel Vacancies

The Birmingham Journal of Literature and Language is inviting applications to join its Review Panel from doctoral (PhD) researchers in EDACS. Members of the Review Panel will only be sent articles (3,500 to 4,000 words in length) for peer review that relate to their area(s) of research interest and each reviewer will only need to comment on a maximum of one article per volume. We are currently working on Volume V of the Journal and aim for the review process to begin in October 2013. Volume IV of the BJLL can be accessed here: http://upload.birmingham.imperiumuk.com/res_pageturner_flick.php?pt=33 The peer-review process consists of three stages: 1- Each article submitted to the BJLL is sent to a member of the Review Panel, together with a feedback form, for them to make their recommendations – you will have 14 days to return your comments 2- The article and completed feedback form are then sent to a member of the Editorial Board (members of which have already served as members of the Review Panel) for a second review 3- The article and both feedback forms are sent back to the General Editors for final review before being returned to the author for redrafting. Amendments are monitored and accepted by the General Editors. If you would like to apply, please complete the attached application form and return to the General Editors: webbjll@googlemail.com

Graduate School Welcome Week Events

The University Graduate School will be running the following events at the beginning of term for new postgraduate researchers: Coffee and cakes on 26th & 27th September - the event on 26th will be part of International Day so it will have an International theme to it. Induction Day on 21st October. This year’s Induction Day will be shorter than in previous years and the activities will finish at lunchtime. For more information see the intranet: https://intranet.birmingham.ac.uk/as/studentservices/graduateschool/events/index.aspx

Research Masterclass with The Thesis Whisperer: Your thesis, so what?

CAL Graduate School proudly invites you to a workshop with The Thesis Whisperer (aka Dr Inger Mewburn) on the most important topic of all: how to speak concisely, eloquently, persuasively and inspirationally about your research and why it matters. Inger was instrumental in the development of the Three Minute Thesis competition, and in line with the principles of the competition, this workshop will help you to focus on what really matters about your research. In the process, you should find yourself newly able to communicate your expertise in eloquent and exciting ways. Next year, the Birmingham Three Minute Thesis winner might be you! This is an ideal opportunity to learn strategies for explaining and highlighting the significance of your research in ways that will make sense to people other than your supervisors or examiners – and of course, this is a skill with enormous scope for transferability well beyond your research thesis The workshop begins at 9.30am on the 4th of October (Venue: G51 European Research Institute ERI) and is an excellent opportunity to learn strategies for explaining and highlighting the significance of your research in ways that will make sense to people other than your supervisors or examiners — this is your opportunity to learn public engagement skills from the horse's mouth, and we hope that new and continuing PhD students in particular will attend. If you've ever felt stumped by the 'so what?!' of your thesis, this is an event you should be at, and it's a skill with enormous scope for transferability well beyond the research thesis itself. For queries or to reserve a place at this fantastic event, please email: calpg-research@contacts.bham.ac.uk

Wednesday 21 August 2013

Second UoB Psy Lit Network Meeting: Friday October 11th 2013

The second UoB PsyLit Network meeting will be held on Friday 11 October, 2013, between 2-3pm in the Arts and Humanities building (room 104 – main campus) at the University of Birmingham.
 
Oliver Penny (University of East Anglia) will be delivering a 20 minute paper entitled ‘Empty Rooms: Style and Negativity in The Death of the Heart’ which looks at Elizabeth Bowen’s ‘The Death of the Heart’ through Andre Green’s work on the negative.
 
Texts to be read and discussed for this session:
 
Andre Green – ‘The Intuition of the Negative in Playing and Reality’Andre Green
 
and Elizabeth Bowen’s – The Death of the Heartelizabeth_bowen
 
PDF copies of Andre Green’s essay ‘The Intuition of the Negative in Playing and Reality’ will be circulated to all PsyLit members at least a week before the meeting.
 
More News:
 
A schedule is currently being put together for PsyLit for the academic year 2013/2014 with meetings to be held on the second Friday of every month during term time.
 
If you would like to attend future PsyLit meetings or would like more information, please email Matt Geary and Rosie Reynolds at uob-psylit@contacts.bham.ac.uk. You can stay up to date by following PsyLit on Twitter (@uob_psylit) or WordPress (http://uobpsylit.wordpress.com/).
 
Also, if your work explores the intersection between psychoanalysis and literature and you would like to give a 20 minute paper at one of PsyLit's future meetings please submit a 100-200 word abstract to uob-psylit@contacts.bham.ac.uk.

Wednesday 14 August 2013

Fame and glory: the classic, the canon and the literary pantheon

DEADLINE: 07 September 2013

Contributions are now invited for the 2013 edition of the MHRA Working Papers in the Humanities, an international, refereed online journal, aimed at postgraduate and early-career researchers. See attachment for full details.
 
How does society construct its literary heroes? From the works studied in schools and by scholars, to the authors commemorated in the Panthéon; from ancient texts reproduced throughout time, to twenty-first-century novels hailed as ‘modern classics’ by their first reviewers; all of these rely on the assumption that there is some sort of consensus on what makes a text or an author worthy of being remembered. What, though, are the criteria that enable individuals or their works to enter this illustrious company? The editors invite submissions on the theme of Fame and glory, across the literatures and cultures of Europe.*  
 
If you are considering submitting, please let us know by email as soon as possible. Articles, in English, of around 4000 words, should be sent to the Postgraduate Editors at postgrads@mhra.org.uk by 7 September 2013. Those selected for further consideration will then undergo a process of peer review, and the volume will be published online at the end of the year.
 
*N.B. History, library studies, education and pedagogical subjects, and the medical application of linguistics are excluded.

Romantic Locations: The Early Careers and Postgraduate Conference for the British Association for Romantic Studies

19th- 21st March 2014, Dove Cottage and the Jerwood Centre, Grasmere.

The BARS Early Careers and Postgraduate Conference for 2014 invites submissions for 15 minute papers on ‘Romantic Locations’. Our format for 2014 will be held over three days and two nights.

This conference will broadly be concerned with the roles played by places, spaces and the local in Romantic-period texts and thought. However, we invite delegates to address the theme creatively, reconsidering and challenging traditional interpretations of the importance of location for Romantic-era authors.  See attached document for possible themes. Along with panel sessions and two keynote addresses, the conference will feature a session on manuscripts run by the Curator of the Wordsworth Trust, Jeff Cowton.

Each panel paper will last fifteen minutes. Please send abstracts of up to 200 words to:
romanticlocations@gmail.com. For more information as it becomes available, including advice on accommodation and travel, please see: http://www.bars.ac.uk/locations.php.

Deadline for abstracts: Friday 15th November 2013. We aim to notify successful speakers by mid-December 2013.
 

Literature and Physical Culture Conference- 10-11 April, 2014

International Centre for Sports History and Culture, De Montfort University, Leicester
This interdisciplinary two-day conference re-examines the idea of sport in textual culture and seeks to reappraise the significance of physical culture beyond the traditional historical frameworks. The conference is interested in the inclusion of sport and physical culture within textual culture, and seeks to reassess sport’s place within the wider cultural landscape. It asks how sport and sporting lexis is transformed in subsequent cultural outputs from novels, poetry, theatre, films and television, and how its importance to the wider population is reflected and developed in these outputs. It is also interested in exploring the broader context of the changing nature of sport’s inclusion within literature from the late eighteenth century to the present.
Abstracts focusing on the pre-1800 period are also invited.

The conference committee (Chair: Victoria Dawson, Professor Tony Collins, Dr Claire Westall, Nicola Stead) welcomes abstracts of 250-300 words for 20 minute papers. Please send your abstract, plus a short biography to Victoria Dawson at
literatureandsport@hotmail.co.uk by 31 October 2013.

Call for Papers – Caribbean Postgraduate Network

The Caribbean Postgraduate Network invites abstracts of 250 words from Postgraduate students in Caribbean Studies for their annual workshop, taking place at the Institute for the Americas, University College London, on Friday 1st November 2013.
Postgraduate students located in discipline-based departments often find they are the sole scholar within their department working on the Caribbean. The Caribbean Postgraduate Network seeks to bring together students who share a common interest in the Caribbean to share their work with regional specialists in a friendly and informal setting. The workshop will feature student presentations on aspects of their work, with responses by convenors and questions encouraged from other participants.
We welcome submissions from postgraduate students across disciplines who are researching any aspect of the wider Caribbean and its diasporas. We encourage proposals from students at various stages within their postgraduate research. Participants will be invited to give a 20-minute presentation.  See attachment for full details.
Abstracts should be submitted by Friday 13 September 2013 to Rachel Thompson at pa901rt@gold.ac.uk with the subject heading ‘Caribbean Postgraduate Network’. Please include your university affiliation.

Beyond the Borders Poetry Conference Call for Papers

23rd November 2013 - University of East Anglia (UEA) School of American Studies
Plenary Lecture/Reading: Michael Palmer, Film Screening: Robert McTavish’s The Line Has Shattered (Vancouver’s Landmark 1963 Poetry Conference)
 
This year marks the fiftieth anniversary of one of the most seminal events in modern American poetry, the Vancouver Poetry Conference 1963. Following the publication of Donald Allen’s prescient The New American Poetry in 1960, Warren Tallman and Robert Creeley gathered together a number of the New American poets (including Charles Olson, Robert Duncan, and Allen Ginsberg) in Vancouver for three weeks of poetry readings, public lectures, workshops and roundtable discussions on contemporary experimental poetics. To coincide with UEA’s own fiftieth anniversary, the School of American Studies will be hosting a one day conference to reassesses the continuing legacies of the Vancouver Poetry Conference and its participants. Please see attached flyer for suggested topics.
Please send abstracts of no more than 300 words to davidmccarthy.uea@gmail.com by Saturday 31st August 2013.

Second Meeting of the UoB Psy Lit Network: Friday October 11th 2013

The second UoB PsyLit Network meeting will be held on Friday 11 October, 2013, between 2-3pm in the Arts and Humanities building (room 104 – main campus) at the University of Birmingham.
 
Oliver Penny (University of East Anglia) will be delivering a 20 minute paper entitled ‘Empty Rooms: Style and Negativity in The Death of the Heart’ which looks at Elizabeth Bowen’s ‘The Death of the Heart’ through Andre Green’s work on the negative.
 
Texts to be read and discussed for this session:
 
Andre Green – ‘The Intuition of the Negative in Playing and Reality’
Andre Green
 
and Elizabeth Bowen’s – The Death of the Heart
elizabeth_bowen
 
PDF copies of Andre Green’s essay ‘The Intuition of the Negative in Playing and Reality’ will be circulated to all PsyLit members at least a week before the meeting.
 
More News:
 
A schedule is currently being put together for PsyLit for the academic year 2013/2014 with meetings to be held on the second Friday of every month during term time.
 
If you would like to attend future PsyLit meetings or would like more information, please email Matt Geary and Rosie Reynolds at uob-psylit@contacts.bham.ac.uk. You can stay up to date by following us on Twitter (@uob_psylit) or WordPress (http://uobpsylit.wordpress.com/).
 
Also, if your work explores the intersection between psychoanalysis and literature and you would like to give a 20 minute paper at one of our future meetings please submit a 100-200 word abstract to uob-psylit@contacts.bham.ac.uk.

Wednesday 7 August 2013

Other Eliots: Contemporary Trends in T. S. Eliot Studies

A Postgraduate Conference
University of Birmingham, April 18th 2014
 
Keynote speakers:

Dr Jason Harding (University of Durham)
Prof. Steve Ellis (University of Birmingham)


Call for Papers
 
In the past decade our understanding of T. S. Eliot and his work has been significantly enhanced by a number of important studies. Most recently, Barry Spurr’s ‘Anglo-Catholic in Religion: T. S. Eliot and Christianity (2010) helped to clarify the nature and evolution of Eliot’s Christian belief.  Elsewhere, in T. S. Eliot and the Cultural Divide (2003), David Chinitz challenged the previous perception of Eliot as a highbrow elitist opposed to popular culture.  In addition to the aforementioned seminal works, the commencement of the T. S. Eliot Research Project has granted researchers and academics unprecedented access to archival resources from around the world, including those owned by Mrs Valerie Eliot, the Eliot Estate, and Faber & Faber Ltd. To date, this has resulted in four volumes of correspondence, and scholars now eagerly await the release of new fully comprehensive collections of Eliot’s complete poems, prose and plays. Undoubtedly, this is an exciting period in Eliot studies and as we approach the 50th anniversary of Eliot’s death, this conference seeks to draw attention to the multifarious research into Eliot’s life and work which is currently being undertaken. 
 
We welcome papers from postgraduate and early career researchers which address all areas of Eliot studies, which may include:

  • Eliot and Popular Culture
  • Eliot and Interdisciplinary studies
  • Psychoanalysis – gender, sexuality and desire.
  • Landscape, environmentalism and ruralism
  • Eliot and Modernism
  • Eliot and Publishing
  • Eliot and Correspondence
 
Please send 300-400 word proposals along with a brief 100 word academic biography to Jeremy Diaper (jxd668@bham.ac.uk) and Matt Geary (mkg703@bham.ac.uk) by December 1st 2013.

website: http://othereliots2014.wordpress.com/ 
twitter: @OtherEliots2014

 

 

 

 

 

Thursday 25 July 2013

Birmingham Three Minute Thesis Competition

Birmingham 3MT: Three minutes, one great idea...
  • Could you effectively communicate the significance of your research in just three minutes?
  • Would you like to compete for generous international research bursaries?
  • Are you up for the Three Minute Thesis challenge?
Developed by the University of Queensland in 2008, the Three Minute Thesis (3MT®) competition gives you just three minutes to deliver an engaging presentation on your thesis topic, its originality and its significance.
The first Birmingham 3MT competition will take place in the Great Hall on Friday 27 September 2013. Prizes will be offered, including an overall winner's award of a £1,000 bursary to visit a Universitas 21 institution of your choice, as well as the chance to represent Birmingham in a virtual U21 3MT Final to compete for a further travel bursary worth $2,500 (USD).
As a current doctoral researcher, we warmly invite you to take part in the Birmingham 3MT. To find out more and to enter the competition, please visit intranet.birmingham.ac.uk/3MT
If you have any questions about the Birmingham Three Minute Thesis Competition, contact Dr Holly Prescott: h.prescott@bham.ac.uk
How will you use your three minutes?

Wednesday 17 July 2013

Lancaster University Postgraduate Conference in Linguistics and Language Teaching

Monday 15 July 2013, Lancaster University, UK
Keynote speakers: David Barton & Alison Mackey

Web:
http://www.lancs.ac.uk/fass/events/laelpgconference
Facebook:
http://ww.facebook.com/LancsPGconferenceLinguistics
Twitter:
http://twitter.com/LAELPostgradCon
Email:
lancspg2013@gmail.com

Literature and Physical Culture Conference - 10-11 April, 2014

International Centre for Sports History and Culture, De Montfort University, Leicester
This interdisciplinary two-day conference re-examines the idea of sport in textual culture and seeks to reappraise the significance of physical culture beyond the traditional historical frameworks. The conference is interested in the inclusion of sport and physical culture within textual culture, and seeks to reassess sport’s place within the wider cultural landscape. It asks how sport and sporting lexis is transformed in subsequent cultural outputs from novels, poetry, theatre, films and television, and how its importance to the wider population is reflected and developed in these outputs. It is also interested in exploring the broader context of the changing nature of sport’s inclusion within literature from the late eighteenth century to the present.
Abstracts focusing on the pre-1800 period are also invited.
The conference committee (Chair: Victoria Dawson, Professor Tony Collins, Dr Claire Westall, Nicola Stead) welcomes abstracts of 250-300 words for 20 minute papers. Please send your abstract, plus a short biography to Victoria Dawson at literatureandsport@hotmail.co.uk by 31 October 2013.

Writing Workshop for Early Career Scholars Working on Africa

Call for Applications: The African Studies Association of the UK (ASAUK) invite applications to attend a writing workshop for early career scholars to be held at the University of Birmingham on 3rd September 2013.
 
 
The Department of African Studies and Anthropology (DASA) and African Studies Association of the UK (ASAUK) are organising a writing workshop for early career scholars to be held at the University of Birmingham on 3rd September 2013. The aim of the writing workshop is to assist early career scholars to prepare material for publication in international journals.
 
 
For more information including journal themes, how to apply and deadlines please go to the website:
 

Thursday 27 June 2013

The 42nd Wordsworth Summer Conference

Monday 5 August to Thursday 15 August 2013
Rydal Hall, Rydal, Cumbria, England

Keynote Lecturers:

Part 1: 5-10 August: Sally Bushell, Gregory Leadbetter, Stacey McDowell, Christopher Simons, Seamus Perry, Sharon Ruston

 Part 2: 10-15 August: David Chandler, Deirdre Coleman, Tim Morton, Ralph Pite, Adam Potkay, Heidi Thomson

Format and Costs: The
conference is in two parts of 4 full days each, with a changeover day on Saturday 10 August. The registration fee, which includes up to seven excursions, offers exceptional value at £240 for ten days (£190 for five days).

Full Board at Rydal Hall is available at prices ranging from £600 to £880 (ten nights), and at the adjacent Youth Centre from £450 (ten nights). All participants will take all meals at Rydal Hall.

All enquiries about accommodation, costs etc. should be e-mailed to the Conference Administrator,
Stacey McDowell

Midlands Interdisciplinary Victorian Studies Seminar

Friday 05 July 2013     UoB, Lecture Room 3 Arts Building      11:15am - 5pm
The theme of the next MIVSS meeting is 'Books, Authors, Audiences' and will feature papers on reading and writing gender and class identities, recovering marginalised texts, and a paper from Dr Jim Mussell entitled 'Moving Things: Circulation and Repetition in Victorian Print Culture'. The day will finish with a discussion of using digital resources in researching and teaching the Victorians. Attendance is free and all food and refreshments will be provided. Please contact Helen Williams to register on hxw813@bham.ac.uk

New Approaches to the Victorian Short Story - 4th July 2013

Thursday 04 July 2013        UoB, Room 119 Arts Building     12:45 - 5:15pm
This symposium aims to address the lack of critical attention that the Victorian short story has received by bringing together academics working on different aspects of the form. Owing to the popularity of the periodical press, the genre flourished throughout the period; Dickens, Gaskell, Collins, Eliot and James as well as lesser-known authors all produced short stories. The limitations of the form allowed for a degree of experimentation which may have been too much of a commercial risk in a full length work. As John Bowen writes, “the short story is in many ways a marginal form, which often takes marginal or outlaw figures as its central concern. It troubles itself, and thus its readers, with remarkable or strange events, with the inexplicable, disorderly or queer.” We aim to start a critical conversation regarding the nature and functions of the short story genre within the larger context of Victorian literature. If you would like to attend please contact Dr Lizzie Ludlow on  e.ludlow@bham.ac.uk

Hortulus: The Online Graduate Journal of Medieval Studies

We would like to announce the publication of the latest issue of Hortulus. The journal is a fully peer-reviewed, born-digital publication, founded in 2004. The journal is available to read online with no subscription fee, and is also available for download as a pdf or ebook. You can see the new issue here: http://hortulus-journal.com/journal/volume-9-number-1-2013/ !
This issue features the theme of Wounds, Torture and the Grotesque, and includes content ranging from a study of the carnivalesque in medieval Japanese prose, to familicide in Beowulf, and an argument that in certain late medieval stories, Christ's blood is capable of causing damnation. We also have reviews of seven recent publications in medieval studies. 
We would like to invite all those interested in medieval studies, no matter your level of expertise, to read the journal and consider making a contribution. The journal can be found at the following address: hortulus-journal.com

Friday 21 June 2013

UOB PSYLIT NETWORK MEETING - FRIDAY 19 JULY

“The poets and philosophers before me discovered the unconscious.  What I discovered was the scientific method by which the unconscious can be studied.” – Sigmund Freud 1928
 
The University of Birmingham Psy Lit Network is a new subject network started by doctoral researchers in the English department for people interested in psychoanalysis, literature, and the relationship between these two fields of study.
 
We will be holding our first meeting in the Constance Naden Room (Room 103) on the first floor of the Arts Building, from 2-3pm on Friday 19th July. We welcome staff and students either working on, or interested in, literature and psychoanalysis.
 
The meeting will consist of an informal discussion of a short text exert (circulated by email before the meeting) but most importantly will be a chance to informally discuss current research in this area going on at the University and to look forward to a series of events which will be running in the next academic session, designed around feedback we receive in this first meeting about what would be useful to support research in the field.
 
For our first meeting we will be discussing  Cinderella by the Brothers Grimm alongside Adam Phillips’ ‘Mothers and Fairytales’ - taken from his book On Balance.
 
If you would like to attend or would like more information, please email Matt Geary and Rosie Reynolds:

Thursday 13 June 2013

in:flux - 1845-1945: A Century in Motion

Thursday 27 June 2013
Registration is now open for in:flux  - 1845-1945: A Century in Motion, an interdisciplinary conference for arts and humanities postgraduate researchers to be held at the University of Birmingham.
Full details of how to register, and more details about the day, can be found on the Registration page on our website – http://pgculturalmodernity.wordpress.com
The event is free and open to all who are interested.

Call for Papers - Romantic Victorians Conference

18th July 2013, 10:00-18:00 Durham University
 
The AHRC-funded Romantic Heirs Research Network is pleased to announce its second conference and networking event, to be held on the theme of 'Romantic Victorians'. The conference is free to attend and will include: plenary talks by Mark Sandy and Anna Barton, roundtable discussions centred on the conference theme, lunchtime refreshments, and a post-conference dinner.   
 
The conference organisers encourage postgraduate students and early-career researchers to submit proposals of 200-250 words for short position papers (1500 words) to be discussed at roundtable sessions.
 
The deadline for submitting proposals is 14th June 2013. Completed position papers should be submitted approximately one week before the conference so that they can be circulated among participants in advance. The network encourages those interested in attending any of its conferences to also consider submitting content in the form of informal articles, reviews, teaching resources etc for its website: http://romanticheirs.org.uk/
 
Please send submissions and enquiries to info@romanticheirs.org.uk or contact Andrew Hodgson or Oliver Clarkson

CWWSkills: Launch of Skills Development Programme for PGRs and ECRs

Deadline for applications: 21 June 2013
Announcing the launch of a new AHRC-funded Collaborative Skills Development Programme, tailor made for those researching in any area of Contemporary Women’s Writing. The CWWSkills Programme comprises 6 training workshops held at different locations in the UK between 31
st August, 2013 and 12th July 2014. Its aim is to fill the perceived skills gap between academic research and an increasingly competitive employment market, within and beyond Higher Education.
 
Please access the programme of events and online application form at http://www.cwwskills.org.uk
 
The CWWSkills programme is free of charge and reasonable travel and accommodation expenses will be reimbursed. Please note that places are limited and the application process is selective, based on the quality of the content you input onto the form. The window for receipt of applications closes on 21 June 2013. Applicants will be informed of the outcome of their application in early July 2013.

Twitter @pgcwwn     Website:  http://pgcwwn.wordpress.com/  
 

PESS 2013 For Doctoral Researchers


Are you a Doctoral Researcher looking to enhance your personal and professional development?

Do you want to gain enterprise skills which can give you the edge in any career, whether it’s private enterprise, academia or third sector?

Do you want the opportunity to gain transferable skills to take your research and future career forward?

Would you like to work with a local organisation on real strategic issues?

The Postgraduate Enterprise Summer School takes Doctoral Researchers through an intensive week of training from Monday 22 July to Friday 26 July 2013. Participants will work together in small teams to solve a real strategic challenge being faced by an influential local organisation: the Inspired Thinking Group (ITG). ITG is a Birmingham-based, VC-backed retail marketing technology and services business which has grown from zero to £40 million revenues and over 200 staff in the 3 years since its inception.
Alongside the comprehensive programme of interactive professional skills training sessions, participants take part in visiting the organisation; research; guest speaker sessions and developing proposals to address the organisation's requirements. On the final day each team will present their findings back to a panel of the organisation's representatives and the winning team will be announced over a well-earned summer BBQ.
The course provides a fantastic opportunity for top quality training alongside the opportunity to work on real strategic issues. No previous experience is required and participants from all subject areas are welcome.
Places are limited and will be allocated on a first come first served basis.

Find out more
The cost to attend is just £30, including all training materials, lunches and refreshments (cost for external delegates is £295, so don’t miss out on this fantastic opportunity). You can book and pay for the course through the University of Birmingham Online Shop.
To get a feel for the programme, why not watch a video from PESS 2012.
For more information about PESS 2013 and other Entrepreneurship and Innovation programmes.
T: 0121 414 2678
 

Thursday 6 June 2013

The Research Poster Conference 2013

You are warmly invited to the Research Poster Conference 2013!  This annual event celebrates postgraduate research at the University of Birmingham and will consist of posters from current postgraduate researchers around the University.  This is a great opportunity to meet your peers and stakeholders in research from both within and outside of the University.
 
A free lunch will be provided and whether you are able to pop in for 5 minutes or 2 hours are you warmly welcome.
Attendance is free, simply book your ticket here.
 
12th June
2:15pm - 4:00pm

The Great Hall

Tuesday 28 May 2013

#postC20literaryresearch: Digital Engagement in Theory and Practice

 Wednesday 13th November 2013;   Tuesday 17th December 2013   University of Salford
 Deadline for Applications: 15 August 2013
 
 We are pleased to announce that we are now accepting proposals from individuals working on any aspect of contemporary literature (post-1916) for our AHRC funded two-day, interactive training event entitled #postC20literaryresearch: Digital Engagement in Theory and Practice. Across these two days participants will be given full training and supported in producing a digital engagement output in the form of a podcast. The event is scheduled for Wednesday 13th November and Tuesday 17th December and applicants must be available to attend both days.
 
Further details about the project and this event can be found on our website http://www.thec21scholar.com. There are a limited number of places and all applications will be judged by the event organisers and accepted based on the quality of the proposed podcasts.
 
 A poster is attached which includes full details about the event and how to apply. For any enquiries email salford@thec21scholar.com

Romantic Victorians Conference

 18th July 2013, 10:00-18:00 Durham University
 
The AHRC-funded Romantic Heirs Research Network is pleased to announce its second conference and networking event, to be held on the theme of 'Romantic Victorians'. The conference is free to attend and will include: plenary talks by Mark Sandy and Anna Barton, roundtable discussions centred on the conference theme, lunchtime refreshments, and a post-conference dinner.   
 
The conference organisers encourage postgraduate students and early-career researchers to submit proposals of 200-250 words for short position papers (1500 words) to be discussed at roundtable sessions.
 
The deadline for submitting proposals is 14th June 2013. Completed position papers should be submitted approximately one week before the conference so that they can be circulated among participants in advance. The network encourages those interested in attending any of its conferences to also consider submitting content in the form of informal articles, reviews, teaching resources etc for its website: http://romanticheirs.org.uk/
 
Please send submissions and enquiries to info@romanticheirs.org.uk or contact Andrew Hodgson or Oliver Clarkson